GnuCash-2.0 first impressions

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

Neil Williams <linux at codehelp.co.uk> writes:

>> I 
>> would like to start hacking on it in my spare time. I have done lots of
>> C/C++ programming, and some SQL experience (though not much experience in
>> GUI development), so I think I should be able to work with somebody on this
>> project or even take a shot on it on my own. The question is where do I
>> start? Should I start writing a qof backend for SQL?
>
> Already begun. What I think I'll do is start a branch, either in QOF CVS or 
> gnucash svn and let you know.  The outline is complete but there's a lot of 
> work to be done before it's stable enough as a default backend, even for 
> light usage in embedded systems.

I'm not convinced that a QOF SQL module will actually work properly
for GnuCash.  In particular, GnuCash has a bunch of requirements for
what data gets pre-loaded and what data is loaded on request.  In
particular, GnuCash requires that the Commodity Tables, Account list,
and Account Balances get pre-loaded..  But all transaction information
is loaded on demand.

I'm not sure that a QOF SQL backend (in the same sense that QSF
exists) could do this for us.

> It will sit alongside QSF as an alternative backend for QOF.
> (embedded systems are having problems with the increasing size of libxml2.)

I think we really need something more along the lines of the 'cash
objects' XML backend, except for SQL.  Honestly, I think we DO need a
Gnucash-specific SQL backend impementation.

Matthew Vanneck had been working on one for a couple years, but he
sort of disaapeared a year or so ago.  Somewhere in my inbox I have
his in-progress work which I could try to uncover and pass around.

But yes, I would certainly encourage you to come up with a good
extensible design for a SQL backend and, once you get the design done
(and signed off on -devel) go ahead and start working on it.  I'd
/love/ to see a SQLite backend implemented.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
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