[MoAp-discuss] Re: General Architecture and MOAP

Tapan Parikh tap2k at yahoo.com
Wed Sep 3 12:02:50 CDT 2003


>
> We really should create one big logical diagram of GnuCash in an easy 
> to
> maintain format.  A perhaps even more usefull diagram would be a 
> diagram of
> Gnucash's hi level data model.  So many things to do, too little 
> time...

These would be great for us... :)

> From http://www.tech.gfusa.org/images/MOAP/GnuCashArcht+MOAP.png I 
> don't
> understand exactly where we fit into your model.  On that diagram (I 
> probably
> don't understand properly) you have both your own GUI and your own 
> datastore.
> What is it you want to leverage GnuCash for?  The GUI, the data model, 
> the
> data store?  It's not very clear to me.
>
> I presume what us want is to leverage the engine (and thus the data 
> model.  Is
> that so?

Pretty much, and initially some of the GUI stuff too until we can come 
out with an integrated front end.  You see traditionally many 
micro-banking software packages have two distinct parts - a portfolio 
management system for tracking loans and repayments and other ratios, 
and an accounting system for maintaining a chart of accounts, auditing 
and creating standard financial statements such as balance sheets.  
Most systems have distinct datastores and frontends for these two, 
relying on batch data transfer between the portfolio system to the 
accounting system.  In fact, in many cases the accounting and portfolio 
management systems are offered by different software vendors.

What we are going for may be a little more integrated, but still 
maintaining the independence of the two systems.  Initially we are 
thinking of writing our own portfolio management system (in Java) and 
using GNUCash as the accounting system.  We are in the process of 
finalizing our spec so we will know if we need any additions to the 
GNUCash front end for this purpose.  If you can, drop us a note 
regarding current known limitations and things you are currently 
working on so we know what to expect.

Eventually we will be writing a unified front end (in Java) that 
hopefully uses the GNUCash engine to handle the accounting, chart of 
accounts, report creation, etc.  We are hoping to use on the C-lib 
dependent sections of GNUCash for this purpose so we are not depending 
on Gnome/GTK.  If you have any idea which exposed APIs would be useful 
to us for this purpose, do let us know.

A more thorough spec is coming soon for Mo-Ap, hopefully by sometime 
mid-September.

-- Tapan



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