price-db storage via BackEnd?

[Christopher Molnar]

Derek Atkins wrote:
> > I have 3 local business that want to loose windows like real bad, but
> > they need a replacement for QuickBooks. With a postgres based package
> > this is now possible. (which is why you see the progress on my servlet).
> 
> I know that "being a Quickbooks replacement" is on the list of
> things to do.  There are a number of ways of doing it.  Being
> web-based is one way, but I would suggest that there are other
> ways that might give you better security and/or better real-time
> data views.
> 

The web based is really meant to be a first step for some MUCH needed
additional functionality. Web is fast and easy to develop, change and
enhance. By using Java it can be easily broken up into beans and then
used for an applet that is OS independent. I agree there are issues to
work around, but it has potential.


> I'll still second your voice that yes, there are people who do want
> make this real, and do want to use this feature (or set of features).
> 
> > I need a table that is user based configs. The session table tracks the
> > last itme they logged in, but doesn't include config info (example,
> > default currency, colors, etc).
> 
> Personally I don't need this, but I can certainly see why a totally
> web-based application would.  OTOH, I'm not convinced that this is
> really the right direction to take Gnucash.  Granted, I'm only
> speaking for myself, but basically what it sounds like you're doing is
> writing your own web-based accounting package based around Gnucash's
> postgres tables.
> 

I think in the long run, after several private emails from people, I am
probably going to move ahead with the web based project, while trying my
best to maintain compatability with GNUCASH, but not depending on it.
Over the last few years I have been lurking and watching the progress
with gnucash I have been quite excceited to see what the team is doing,
but less than happy to see the debate over making this functional for
commercial users.  There is an large market possibility being lost for
both Linux and GNUCash. I was really hoping that there would be a little
more interest in what I've been working on, and I was really excited to
see the availability of the Postgres tables, but I am noticing that this
is sort of being treated as a competing product (again, some private
emails) and I did not intend it to be such, at all, but more of an
enhancement.


I see the web as the first step, as noted above, but definatly NOT the
perfect solution. But a needed first step.


> 
> I think that _ANY_ data storage should use the Backend.  Anything that
> affects data views or queries should be stored via the backend as
> well.  I'm not convinced that colors or other preferences need to be
> stored via the backend.

If you move to a multi-user environment you will need to become machine
independent. This will require you to have users configs and preferences
available on the backend. This is just my 2 cents worth and take it or
leave it. As I said, I am going to move ahead and attempt my best to
maintain compatability with GNUCash, but not rely on it.

-Chris