QOF and portable devices

[linux at codehelp.co.uk]

On Fri, Oct 08, 2004 at 06:09:18PM -0400, Derek Atkins wrote:
> Neil Williams <linux at codehelp.co.uk> writes:
> 
> > I've asked to join the Psion/Xios team to package Gnucash onto the new Psion 
> > prototype running Debian embedded - Gnome 1.4, Gtk, 2.6 kernel, already 
> > running gnumeric & OOo.. The current developers had commented that GnuCash 
> > would be a useful addition, so I volunteered. (Hope that's OK! - BTW, I'd 
> > like to exhibit GnuCash at the next one in 2005, would that be OK too?)
> 
> COOL!!!!!!!!  Excellent!!!!!!  Would DEFINITELY be ok!!!!

If anyone else is likely to be free around the 5-8th October 2005 to
co-exhibit (Olympia, London, UK), let me know.

> 
> > The likelihood of running GnuCash on a Psion raises the opportunity to make a 
> > truly generic importer for data in peripheral devices, not just my Palm and 
> > not just invoices.
> 
> Sounds cool.  I'll ponder the rest of your note and respond later, but
> I just wanted to provide a quick "this is cool" response to the general
> ideas.  :)

The more I think about this, the more powerful it becomes.

Consider the implications if Kontact (KOrganiser, KAddressBook),
gnomepim, openoffice, gnumeric or other finance programs supported the
transfer of data between processes using QOF. It should be easy to use
QOF as an export/import filter for existing programs - it's a single .c
file that uses specific programs calls to retrieve user data and creates
suitable QofObject structures to contain that data. There's no need to
stick to a pre-defined set of QofObjects, that's down to the mapping
file and the example that the developers of the remote application
define. 

Now consider what happens when DWI is added into the equation - OK I'm
looking quite a way down the road now, maybe >3yrs, but imagine being
able to QUERY user data in any QOF application in any manner you like.
Use DWI to make custom reports that not just take in GnuCash data but
tie it in with a gnumeric spreadsheet or even do a data-merge using
KAddressBook. No need to bug the developers for a customised Scheme or
Lisp or other report format code, do it yourself with DWI.

QOF is ideal for complex data interchange - it doesn't have to be
restricted to financial data yet it could provide a one-size-fits-all
import/export solution that would put QIF/CSV to shame.

One final idea. Just imagine if Gecko/KHTML became QOF aware: difficult
yes, impossible? 
Suddenly all those online bank statements become QOF objects 
. . . . in a QofBook
. . . . in XML.
:-))

(I can dream, can't I?)

-- 

Neil Williams
=============
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