Report customization nightmare

[Michael Leone]

On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 5:12 PM, Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
> On Tue, June 29, 2010 5:01 pm, Michael Leone wrote:
>> On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 4:41 PM, Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
>>
>>> And how does the e-guile invoice (template) report not solve your
>>> problem?
>>>  Just adjust the template (standard HTML) to your liking.
>>
>> That, of course,  presumes you know how to "adjust standard HTML". Not
>> everyone does. I suppose (never having looked into it) that perhaps
>> you could open the template in some HTML editor, and change it there,
>> then bring it back into GnuCash. After first getting and learning how
>> to use an HTML editor, of course. :-)
>
> Come on, Michael.  The user has to do SOMETHING to create a new report!

True. I was (as the smiley indicated) teasing a (little) bit.

> I can buy your point that an average user can't learn scheme..  But not
> being able to modify an HTML page?   Come on, any loser in the world can
> load an HTML page into *ANY* processor and adjust it..  Even Microsoft
> Word will do that!

It can .. if you call the horrifying mess that comes out of Word
actual HTML. LOL

> Granted, I have no idea if it will preserve the e-guile content..  But the
> point is that with e-guile you can make the HTML look however you want
> using whatever HTML design you want, and just apply that to the template.
> It's certainly much easier to get the look you want than it was with
> scheme alone.

Almost certainly.  Although for me, the "look" is of less interest
than how easily I can choose and then arrange the accounts I want on
the report. So that I only see certain expenses, in a specified time
period, and also see a total of those, and perhaps a total of another
account, as a comparison.

> Is it perfect?  No.  Is it going to provide you reports with zero effort?
> No.
>
> If you want zero effort, offer up something else in return.  Offer to pay
> someone to design your report for you.

I never said zero effort. That's quite a defensive attitude you've got there.

All I said that was using a programming language to design a custom
report was not the best solution, and expecting "normal" (read:
non-technical) end users to learn one, in order to customize a report,
is not realistic. Would some kind of GUI designer, where you could
perhaps check off what accounts you want to see on the report, be
better? Probably. Just because I can't code it, doesn't mean I have no
right to suggest it, or point out where the program needs improvement,
IMO.

One day it will (probably) get better. Until then, I can live with out
it. Or I could export out and use some other product, like that other
poster. Or, if it really bothers me enough, spending my free time
learning guile. Either way, I am entitled to my opinion, which I
offered. I have an idea that you don't see the program from a
non-technical end user's point of view. And fair enough - I have the
same problem, but with other programs.

Anyway, eventually the reporting interface will get better, which is
the important thing.