Starting to tinker...

[Dave Peticolas]

On 01 Jun 2001 12:59:40 -0500, mschwarz@alienmystery.planetmercury.net wrote:
> I'm toying with the idea of developing a PalmOS application for recording
> transactions and synchronizing with gnuCash.  I've just grabbed the most
> recent snapshot of the gnuCash source.  I'm a very experienced (>10
> years) Unix C/C++/Java programmer, but I have to confess I know nothing
> about Scheme and GUI stuff just has never been my forte (I mostly develop
> network protocol software), so gncash is pretty large and intimidating to
> just "take on."

You might check out PalmCoins http://sourceforge.net/projects/palmcoins/
which is an accounting program for the pilot. Their web page suggests
that they are currently working on syncing to GnuCash, but they could
probably use some help.


> I wonder if someone would be willing to steer me at some information so I
> don't have to try to understand it all at once (and I would certain take
> RTFM or RTFS as an answer!).  Here's what I think I need to know:
> 
> 1) Database API and/or file structures.  If there is a way for my synch
> application to call the same API the user interface does to get account
> and transaction information, then I think I should.

GnuCash has a scheme interface so you can supply scripts for GnuCash
to run, and the accounting api is exported to scheme.


> 2) My experience of personal finance software has been Quicken.  I'm not
> trained in accounting, and while I understand double entry bookkeeping in
> principle, I'm not sure I know it as well as I'd ought.  I also understand
> that gnucash may be set up with double-entry requirements non-existant,
> and I wonder what complexitities this might pose for my palm
> application.  When double entry is off, can a person name an "account" and
> it would be like a Quicken category?  Would I have to load the entire
> chart of accounts into the palm application?

Make sure you use the next version of GnuCash to develop (1.6.0),
as the interface in 1.4.x will soon be obsolete.

dave