Comments, Observations, and some XML file format questions

[Derek Atkins]

Paul Lussier <pll@mclinux.com> writes:

> Well, yeah, but doing that means:
> 
> 	1.  I have to run a database server

True, but postgres is really easy to install.

> 	2.  I have to run a web server

No, you do not need a web server at all.

> 	3.  doing 1 & 2 greatly reduces the amount of security on my 
> 	    system, something I'm not inclined to do wrt a system 
> 	    containing all my financial data.

Not necessarily, but let's leave this point open for now.  Suffice
it to say that Postgres can use SSL for session encryption, and you
can set up your database to use Kerberos for authentication.

Also, as I said, you don't need a webserver, so you don't have the
webserver security issues.

> 	4.  3 implies a whole lot more work for me, and I'm lazy

Not necessarily.  Yes, you need to install postgres (if you run Red
Hat, you merely need to install the package).  Then you just run a
simple script to generate your Gnucash tables, and then you just tell
gnucash to open the database file.  Viola!  You're now using a
database!

As I said earlier, you dont need a web server.

> 	5.  All of the above removes the chance for me to write perl 
> 	    code and the opportunity I've been looking for to learn 
> 	    about XML :)

Well, true...  However currently there are not good PERL bindings
for Gnucash.  Perhaps you could help fix that ;)

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
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