First, let’s create a file to store your real data. Open GnuCash and select File → New File from the Menubar. This will start the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant that allows you to create several accounts at once.

	Note
	If you are running GnuCash for the first time, you will be presented with the Cannot find default values screen which is described in details in the GnuCash manual.

Figure 2.7. New Account Hierarchy Setup: Introduction

This image shows the first screen of the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant.

The first screen of the assistant gives you a description of what the assistant does. Click the Forward button to proceed to the next screen.

In the second screen, set the New Book Options on the different tabs, then press the Forward button. You can also update these options later using File → Properties. For details of these options, see the GnuCash Help manual, chapter Customizing GnuCash, Book Options.

Figure 2.8. New Account Hierarchy Setup: Book Options

This image shows the second screen of the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant where you select the Book Options.

In the third screen, select the currency to use for the new accounts from the dropdown list. Then press the Forward button.

	Note
	The currency you select here, will be assigned to all the accounts created in this assistant.

Figure 2.9. New Account Hierarchy Setup: Currency Selection

This image shows the third screen of the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant where you select the Currency.

In the fourth screen select the Common Accounts group in the Categories pane. Then press the Forward button to proceed.

	Note
	If you want, you can select one or more of the predefined account-groups here. For more information on account types, see Section 2.8.2, “GnuCash Accounts”.

Figure 2.10. New Account Hierarchy Setup: Account Selection

This image shows the fourth screen of the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant where you choose the various Accounts.

In the fifth screen you will be able to set an Opening Balance on each of the accounts, as well as indicate if the account should be a Placeholder. As these features will be described in next chapters, leave all as configured by GnuCash and click Forward to open the last screen of the assistant.

Figure 2.11. New Account Hierarchy Setup: Account Setup

This image shows the fifth screen of the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant where you can set Opening Balance.

In the last screen of the assistant, click Apply to create all the accounts and leave the assistant.

Figure 2.12. New Account Hierarchy Setup: Finish

This image shows the last screen of the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant.

After pressing Apply in the previous window, you will be presented with the save dialog. Select the XML Data Format, Name the file as gcashdata_1, select the folder where to save the file (remember it as the data file will be used in the tutorials throughout this manual), and finally press the Save as button.

Your main window should now look something like this:

Figure 2.13. Tutorial: Starting Account View of the Test File