Sync With Budget On The Desktop

Make sure your WiFi network is active. In Budget Touch, touch the Actions button then touch the Sync Data button.

Make sure your WiFi network is active. In Budget Touch, touch the Control Panel button then touch the Sync button.

The sync screen will appear with the devices name and wait for connection to the desktop.
Start Budget on the desktop. Use the File menu and select "Sync with iPhone/iTouch".
Enter a password if you set one in Budget Touch.
On the desktop when the device name appears in the table select it and click either the "Push to Device" or "Sync With Device" button.

Note: The default amount of transaction data sent from Budget on the desktop to Budget Touch is 1 year. You can change this in the Settings tab of the sync window in Budget. Sending more transactions will slow the sync process; sending fewer will speed it up.

"Push To Device" - The Push Process

Clicking "Push to Device" sends the current desktop file to Budget Touch without syncing. Any data in Budget Touch on the device is lost.

"Sync with Device" - The Sync Process

Budget Touch data is sent to the desktop via WiFi.

Once communications are established between the desktop version of Budget and Budget Touch, the following process is followed.

Any new accounts created in Budget Touch since the last Sync or Push are added to the desktop file. The account settings are checked in both the desktop file and Budget Touch and the latest change is preserved.
Any new envelopes created in Budget Touch since the last Sync or Push are added to the desktop file. The Account settings and expense information are checked in both the desktop file and Budget Touch and the latest change is preserved.
Any new transactions created in Budget Touch since the last Sync or Push are added to the desktop file with the following restrictions. If either condition is not met, the transaction will not be added to the desktop file.
- Both the account and the envelope for every transaction must be present in the desktop file.
- For split transactions every envelope referenced in the split transaction must be present in the desktop file.

Any new pay sources created in Budget Touch since the last Sync or Push are added to the desktop file with the following restrictions. If either condition is not met, the pay will not be added to the desktop file.
- The account for the pay must exist in the desktop file.
- Every envelope referenced in the pay must be present in the desktop file.
Changes to the pay details for each envelope are merged with the desktop file with the latest changes being preserved.

Pay sources and pay details are an additional add-on. See the Add-Ons section for more details.

Once all accounts, envelopes, and transactions have been added the entire Budget Touch file is replaced with the desktop file. A sync report will show the number of accounts, envelopes, and transactions added. Any transactions not added will be listed in the Errors tab.

General Usage

Budget Touch Alone

Budget Touch can be used on it's own (without syncing) with no issues.

Initial Sync With Desktop

For the initial sync with desktop there are two situations:

Not using Budget previously - Existing Budget Touch user. Starts using Budget Touch and creates accounts, envelopes, and transactions. On sync all items in Budget Touch are considered new when compared to an empty desktop file. All are added to the desktop file and then the desktop file is rewritten to Budget Touch.
Existing Budget user - Not using Budget Touch previously. Syncs the empty Budget Touch file. There is nothing new in Budget Touch so nothing is added to the desktop file. The entire Budget desktop file is written to Budget Touch. This works just like a "push".

Ongoing Syncing

Transactions balanced in Budget Touch are balanced on the desktop. New accounts, envelopes, and transactions in Budget Touch are added to the desktop. Changes to settings of accounts and envelopes are merged with the most recent settings from either Budget Touch or desktop being used. The entire synced desktop file is then sent to Budget Touch.

Limitations

Accounts - Once synced can not be deleted in Budget Touch. Can be deleted in the desktop file.
Envelopes - Once synced can not be deleted in Budget Touch; can be deleted in the desktop file. The parent groups of sub-envelopes cannot be changed in Budget Touch.
Pays - Once synced can not be deleted in Budget Touch. Can be deleted in the desktop file.
Transactions - Once synced can not be modified or deleted within Budget Touch. Can be deleted or modified in the desktop file.

Errors

Errors can occur if any portion of a transaction or pay does not exist in the desktop file. If an error occurs you will be shown the transaction or pay that caused the error and asked to continue or terminate the sync. If you terminate the sync nothing is changed in either Budget Touch or the desktop. If you continue the sync the transactions or pay with the error will be ignored and the remaining data will be synced.

Example of an error: Your desktop file contains the "Misc" envelope. You push your desktop file to Budget Touch. You then delete the "Misc" envelope from the desktop. In Budget Touch you create a transaction in the "Misc" envelope. When you attempt to sync you will receive an error because the new transaction's envelope does not exist any longer in the desktop file.