Who's interested in a PHP GnuCash?

[Tom Coetser]

Hi Chris,

On Thursday 20 October 2011 22:18:37 Chris Smith wrote:
> Hi Tom,
> 
> I was thinking of using the GnuCash database as a model for a PHP similar
> version.

Others would probably also chime in here, but the problem with modeling on top 
of the GC database is that the data stored in the DB is not very relational 
and that much (most) of the logic to tie the records together lives in the GC 
code.

>From what I understand, in order to use any language to interface directly to 
the database, you will need to have a very good understanding of the GC 
internals to even attempt to get anything useful from the database. The DB 
backend at the moment is just a transitional step to get from the XML backend 
to a fully relational DB backend sometime in the future, but at the moment it 
is not yet a "relational" database in the true sense.

I suppose it would be possible to duplicate the GC functionality in some other 
language, but I almost think this may require more effort than writing a brand 
new app from scratch.

However, since the CG core functionality is exposed via Python bindings
 ( http://svn.gnucash.org/docs/HEAD/python_bindings_page.html ) it should 
certainly be very possible to expose the main CG functionality via a REST 
interface. This should be doable with a lot less effort than any interface 
directly to the database and will always stay in line with whatever direction 
GC heads in.

Just my 2cents in the hope that any effort put into a project like this have a 
better change of succeeding :-)


/Tom


> 
> I really want to further the development of GnuCash to have an API
> interface or web interface.  This is not only for these benefit of my
> company, but also for others who may find interest.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris Smith
> 
> On Oct 20, 2011 1:11 PM, "Tom Coetser" <gnucash_subs at icave.net> wrote:
> > Hi Chris,
> > 
> > On Thursday 20 October 2011 17:34:00 Chris Smith wrote:
> > > Hi guys,
> > > 
> > > I know this is my second post but wanted to see hoe many people wanted
> > > a PHP version of GnuCash, but maybe some other features such as an
> > > REST
> > 
> > API.
> > 
> > A REST API to GnuCash would be very nice. Doing it with PHP though may be
> > very
> > difficult since there are no external PHP bindings to the GC - at least
> > not that I am aware of.
> > 
> > There are Python bindings though, so creating a REST interface in Python
> > should theoretically be *much* easier than doing the same in PHP. How
> > much of
> > the internal GC API and functionality are exposed via the Python bindings
> > I am
> > not sure, so the available functionality may or may not be limited.
> > 
> > As have been mentioned countless times on this list, interfacing directly
> > to
> > the backend database is not yet feasible, so the only real option is to
> > use whatever functionality GC exposes directly.
> > 
> > 
> > /Tom
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