My merge category tool isn’t working. The list from which I can choose the category from which to migrate populates correctly. When I go to the category list to merge into only populates a random selection of categories.
I thought I might have a filter on the category tab, but I don’t. Also if I did have a filter on, the first category list (the category I want to merge from) wouldn’t have populated either since it’s from the same list.
Not sure if anyone else had this problem? I was using Microsoft Edge, but also tried on Chrome and the problem persists.
I know I don’t use quotes or apostrophes, and just did a control find to double check. I think the only thing I use are parenthesis, colon ( and slash (/). Does the colon affect?
Here is a screenshot.
The merge category FROM drop down has all the category listings. When I select one I want to merge FROM, the TO drop down box starts at the letter “P”
Colon shouldn’t be a problem but slashes could be. What is the name of the last category that is not shown in the box (ie that would appear above the first P category)?
Parking is the category above.
You know what else is interesting? If I chose any category above a category that starts with “SG:…” it’s fine.
So example, the last category before the SG categories start is Restaurants. I choose that and want to merge that to another, the other list populates fine.
So maybe the colon does affect something (although I’ve had these categories for years now and I was able to merge a month or so ago so this is indeed a new problem.)
Also, in case you’re like, what is “SG:”, they were my envelopes for Savings Goals, before I used your savings goal monthly budget sheet. So if I’d transfer monies into SG:Accounting, or SG:Home Repair as envelopes, and I would also remove monies from there if I had spent against a category “Accounting” or “Home Repair”. My way takes more work vs using your Monthly Savings Goal tab (effectively two categories, a SG Accounting vs just the Accounting cat). Merging my old SG: goals into their counterparts will clean up the cat tab since it’s redundant.
One thing about this workflow that I had forgotten, @dkushla, the “Type”— i.e. “Income” or “Expense”— (from the Categories sheet) must match for both the source and destination categories— otherwise the merge would create problems.
Is it possible that the from dropdown is only showing the categories with matching type?
I think you found the problem. I have “SG:” categories as transfers, not expenses. I just updated them to expenses and it seems to work now! Thanks, and I’ll let you know if I run into any further issues!
Doug
Maybe just to clarify for someone who bumps into that error without knowing this issue, you specify it, ie “Both categories must share the same Expense Type field (usually column C, called “Type” on your categories tab)” or something so they can pinpoint what “type” means. It threw me off.
and slash (/). Does the colon affect?
