Gnucash "state" information

[Derek Atkins]

"Colin Scott" <gnucash at double-bars.net> writes:

>> n $HOME/.gnucash/books/ you'll find a bunch of files.  Find the one
>> with the same name are your datafile.  That contains the information
>> about what's been opened.
>
> OK, that explains a thing or two!  I have several accounts files, some
> sharing the same name, in different directories. I couldn't understand
> why sometimes state information is picked up incorrectly.  Now I know!

In the olden days GnuCash encoded the full file-path.  That was
changed to just use the file basename (ignoring the directory).
The downside, of course, is what you see now -- if you have multiple
files of the same name then the data can collide.

I think the reasoning is that it's MORE likely that users will only
have one filename, and we wanted to let them move the file around
and not lose state.  So the change worked well for them, but of course
it made it much worse for those (few) with multiple files of the
same name.

>> > In the same vein, where are preferences stored?
>> 
>> In GConf.
>
> Hmmm.  Why is, for example, the current period considered global
> information?  When running multiple sets of books, the current period
> will depend on the current set of books, it isn't universal.  Do you mind
> if I report this as a bug?

Because there was never a thorough plan about where different
preferences should live.   We've discussed this on the -devel list.
I recommend you find that thread from a few months ago or so and
feel free to continue it (as that is a -devel issue).  You're welcome
to file a bug but first check that there isn't one (or a similar one).

> Colin

-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
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available