parent accounts, groups, and classes

[David Merrill]

On Thu, Dec 21, 2000 at 04:34:00PM -0800, Dave Peticolas wrote:
> David Merrill writes:
> > In light of the discussions we have been having over whether the
> > account group mechanism should be strictly hierarchical or whether an
> > account should be allowed to exist within more than one group, I am
> > considering providing both capabilities in the database.
> > 
> > First, the group table would define groups. Each group would
> > contain arbitrary accounts, and accounts can belong to more than one
> > group via a third table, account_group.
> > 
> > Second, the class table would define classes. Each class would contain
> > arbitrary accounts, but an account can belong to one and only one
> > class. Possibly, every account must belong to one class or another.
> > 
> > These are implemented independently of the GUI, so the GUI can make
> > use of either or both of these mechanisms as it sees fit. It is easy
> > enough for me to do both rather than choose one.
> > 
> > Regarding the parent account mechanism, can someone please explain to
> > me what this does for us that the account group mechanism above
> > doesn't? Are we actually using the account "tree" that it results in,
> > or just using it as another way to group accounts, where the top level
> > account is a dummy account?
> 
> I'm not sure what you mean here. In the engine, the parent account
> mechanism is the group mechanism. There is no other way to specify
> subaccounts other than through groups.

Somewhere or other I picked up the idea that an account could have a
"parent" account. Evidently I misread something. Perhaps the gnucash
code made reference to a parent account and I didn't realize it was
the same thing as the group? I dunno, and it doesn't matter now
anyway.

If I provide the functionality described above, will that meet the
engine's requirements? That's what I really want to know.

-- 
Dr. David C. Merrill                     http://www.lupercalia.net
Linux Documentation Project                dmerrill@lupercalia.net
Collection Editor & Coordinator            http://www.linuxdoc.org
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