How do I create my own forms

[Ashley Kitson]

I've been using GnuCash for some while now and whilst I understand the
dichotomy that the developers have in trying to balance the stated aim
of providing a 'home user' system and the obvious demand for more
business oriented functionality that they seem to wary of, I would like
to understand how we potential business users can effectively help
themselves.

It seems to me that apart from adding core accounting functionality a
step forward may be to have he ability for end users to add their own. 
I am a great fan of the Navision accounting system for SMEs (despite its
recent aquisition by M$.)  At it's core it does accounting, but what
makes it great and stands it apart from its competitors is that a
reasonably competent end user can define their own forms and processing.

Most businesses have their own ways of working fundamentally different
from others, and in this I can understand the reluctance of the GnuCash
development community to embroil themselves in creating versions for x
industry and y industry.

Yet what if end users had the ability to create their own forms with
simple processing attached.  e.g. Entry of invoice details that takes
account of various tax charges applicable, customisable by the user. 
Surely this would go some way to addressing business user's concerns. 
It (along with other capabilities of course) might also have the benefit
of attracting a second market concerned with selling GnuCash into
vertical markets that would a/ expand the acceptance of the product and
Linux in general and b/ assist in funding the GPL version of the product
for the stated market of the home user.

Nothing I am suggesting hasn't been done before by other product
developments so I'm sure it can work. Indeed, there are signs that the
GnuCash effort is moving some way along the path in trying to generalise
parts of its functionality. I am in part writing this to elicit a
response from the developers because I can find no reference to it in
any of the documentation.  And I really do think that GnuCash can do so
much more.

My sixpence worth but I'd be interested in the response.

Kind Regards
Ashley Kitson