[Newbie questions] how to use journal/ledger system, gnucash-1.4.1 + SuSE

[Dave Peticolas]

root writes:
> Developers,
> 
> 	I am a gnucash newbie, but have been searching a long time for
> a usable strict double-entry system.
> 
> 	I recently rpm'd gnucash-1.4.1, slib, and g-wrap for use with
> SuSE 6.3.  (As I am not an rpm-guru, beta-testers would be appreciated.)
> I have read all the documentation that I can find at http://www.gnucash.org/
> and in the .tar.gz package, but I feel that I am missing either a basic
> concept or a large body of documentation and ancillary code.
> 
>         From the mail list archive, I believe that some are using gnucash
> to implement a web-based journal/ledger system, but I don't understand how
> this is being done.

It isn't, afaik. There has been talk of how it could be done and the
architecture needed to do it, but there is no implementation. There is
some old work on an html inteface in CVS, but it does not compile.


>         How are multiple journals setup and distinguished?
> 	        (e.g. cash, checking, ...)

You would create 'Accounts' for each of those.


>         How does one export .xac files to some other format?
> 	        (e.g. .xac -> .qif)

Currently, GnuCash has only one format, the .xac format. We are working
on a text format that will become the main format and will also hopefully
make it easier for users to convert to other formats.
 

>         How does one merge .xac files?
> 	        (e.g. accounts.xac + cash_journal.xac -> new_accounts.xac)

There is currently no automated way to do this. After the text format i/o
is working, this should be straightforward to do.


>         Is there a site for gnucash contributions?
> 	        (additional reports, additional docs, etc.)
> 		(e.g. ftp://www.gnucash.org/pub/gnucash/contrib/)

Everything we have is in CVS and in the numbered releases (i.e.,
1.4.1). That includes reports that other people have submitted. If we
start getting a really large number of submitted reports that we can't
maintain, then a contrib section would be a good thing, but right now
a GnuCash release has everything.


> 	How does one automatically split transactions?
> 	        (e.g. > GNC_RUN_AS_SHELL=t gnucash <<Cookie
> 		      > (gnc:post ...)
> 		      > Cookie


Are you interested in function-by-function details or just in general?
In general, the C interface to transaction creation and modification in
src/engine/*.h has been 'wrapped' in scheme. Let me know if you want a
specific example.


thanks,
dave