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

[Dave Peticolas]

root writes:
> dave,
> 
> 	Thank you for your quick response.
> 
> > >         How are multiple journals setup and distinguished?
> > > 	        (e.g. cash, checking, ...)
> > You would create 'Accounts' for each of those.
> 
>         Do you have an example?
> 	(e.g. How to setup and perform the following.

Do you have GnuCash installed? I'd like to create a .xac file and
send it to you with what I think you are describing.


>         Function-by-function details and/or a specific example would be
> greatly appreciated.  I used to be a lisp guru (symbolics, franz, mach) and
> am trying to learn scheme.
> 
>         Can you (dis)recommand any scheme tutorials or references?

As a former lisper you should have no trouble with the scheme definition:

http://swissnet.ai.mit.edu/~jaffer/r5rs_toc.html

There are also info pages for 'guile', but they are not installed on
RedHat. Debian has them, though.


> 	I read gnc.html and have examined much of .../src/scm/... .  I have
> executed some code using GNC_RUN_AS_SHELL=t ./gnucash, but have not yet
> identified exactly what has to be loaded for non-gui use.
>     GNC_RUN_AS_SHELL=t ./gnucash
>     guile> (primitive-load "bootstrap.scm")
>     guile> (gnc:load "startup.scm")
> The above provides some gnucash functionality, but does not open the database
> .
>     guile> (gnc:main)
> Adding the line immediately above, executes the gui and waits for human
> intervention before accepting further scheme.  I suspect that to execute
> scripts for web-interface or automatic splits, I need all of bootstrap.scm.
> I further suspect that I need a modified file (e.g. startup-automatic.scm,
> startup-session.scm) with gui-dependent parts removed or replaced.
> 
>         Is there an non-gui option for startup.scm?
>         Is there a different startup file?
> 	Is this the subject of a work in progress?

This is the subject of work in progress, but we should be able to work
up something in the meantime. I'll work on an example and post it.

There is a different startup file 'bs-interp.scm' (bootstrap interpreter)
that you should use instead.


> 	I may be able to assist or take on a piece of the gnucash project
> for these matters.

If you're interested, by all means. Rob Browning <rlb@cs.utexas.edu> is
working on this atm.

thanks,
dave