Dimensions?

[Clark Jones]

Robert Graham Merkel wrote:
> 
> Clark Jones writes:
>  > Robert Graham Merkel wrote:
>  > >
>  > > Christopher Browne writes:
>  > >  > On Wed, 27 Sep 2000 10:46:27 +1000, the world broke into rejoicing as
>  > [...]
>  > >  > ... And in perhaps-overly-brief response to the multiply-expressed
>  > >  > question,
>  > >  >   "What if it's not a tree?"
>  > [...]
>  > > As for the user interface question, ideas are rolling around in the
>  > > back of the head, but you're right, it is *nasty*.
>  >
>  > Well, I have a thought on this, but first let me explain, briefly, my
>  > situation:  I have two vehicles, a pickup and an RV, and so have things
>  > like
>  >
>  > auto:pickup:insurance
>  > auto:pickup:repairs
>  > auto:pickup:taxes
>  > auto:RV:insurance
>  > auto:RV:repairs
>  > auto:RV:taxes
>  >
>  > and I have
>  >
>  > home:insurance
>  > home:maintenance
>  > home:taxes:irrigation_district
>  > home:taxes:realestate
>  >
>  > and so on.
>  >
>  > One of the reports that I'd like to see would group together all of the
>  > related stuff across the vehicles (and ignore anything related to home),
>  > while another report would say, in essence, here's what I've spent on
>  > insurance this year, and here's what I've spent on taxes, and so on.
>  >
>  > Anyway, as for the [ab]user interface, I've seen several instances around
>  > of two windows where "here's what's currently selected for inclusion" and
>  > "these items are not currently included" -- you click on one to highlight
>  > it, and then click on the arrow that's between the two columns to move it.
>  >
> A two-column type setup is the sort of thing I had in mind.  However,
> what you need to be able to do is build a *tree* for a report to
> summarise things into.

I see no reason why the "report catagories" can't be a heirarchy just like the
way gnucash deals with accounts and sub-accounts.  The GUI selecting the
"report catagory" to create/modify(/delete?) could look something like the
existing one to select an account in gnucash to give the user "warm fuzzies"
that [s]he's familiar with it.

A couple of further thoughts:  In the two-column thing, there needs to be a
way to say "move all the sub-accounts too" vs "just move the selected account
and leave sub-accounts where they are".  Also, a way to create a new report
with a catagory/sub-catagory for each existing account/sub-account would be
a good starting point for developing several "interesting" reports, as well
as being a useful report in its own right.

[...]

>  > Remember, a conclusion is where you got tired of thinking -- this is my
>  > conclusion.  :-)
> 
> Yep.  My thoughts are along similar lines.  This should probably be
> firmed up into a proposal, somwhere in the not too distant future.
> ATM I'm trying to make guppi graphs display from GnuCash.
> I should have a simple demo ready soon :)

Hmmm... graphs from the reports would be nice, too.  One that comes to
mind off hand would be a "pie-chart" of how my "auto" money went, with
regards to x% for insurace, y% for repairs, and z% for taxes, across
both "autos".

This also gets me to thinking that it would be nice to be able to get
charts showing different time periods -- say total cost for each auto,
comparing years 2000, 2001, 2002, and so on.

That's going to require some more thinking -- and it's time for a
conclusion!  :-)  (Especially as something in X locked up and I had to
type most of this twice.  :-(

						Clark
-- 
Disclaimer:  The opinions expressed herein are mine and not necessarily
those of anyone else.  (As if anyone else would want them!)

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