GnuCash design / new features

Brian Rose b_rose at shaw.ca
Mon Oct 31 00:32:36 EST 2005


Hi,

> 
> I suggest you look at QSF and maybe help me finish off the conversion routines 
> and invoice export.
> 
I will look at QSF, first.

> 
>>Well, for one it would be really awesome if the
>>invoice template was similar to iBiz,
>>http://www.iggsoftware.com/ibiz/index.html .
> 
> 
> 1. We don't want to have specific external targets from within gnucash like 
> that - the reference you quote is a moving target and if we try to "fix" 
> against it, it will always be a case of catch-up.
> 
I wasn't suggesting mimicking iBiz.

> 2. Someone else will undoubtedly have yet another target that should be 
> considered.
Probably. Maybe we could come up with something to 
enable customizing invoices
without leaving the Gnucash GUI and iBiz applies 
one way. So, several suggestions could
be incorporated to create something better than 
the wisdom of anyone person.

> 
> 3. QSF *can* deal with ANY external customisation requests. By having just the 
> data required, you can develop a simple Perl/Python/PHP/whatever process that 
> parses the XML and produces the template / report / format you need for 
> whatever your target may be. It's designed to be all things to all men and 
> once a conversion script is created, it remains current because all that is 
> changing is the internal data - not the QSF format itself.
> 
Sounds very high-level, generalized, and vague. 
I.e., I don't understand, but maybe I will
after reading about QSF.

> 
>>Highly flexible, but using a GUI and a template
>>creator.
> 
> 
> If it's flexible enough to import data into that template, QSF can provide the 
> data. It's just a question of a suitable script to process the output.
> 
Who is expected to write the script? Who is 
Gnucash intended for?

> 
>>>Are you happier in GUI development or CLI or both?
>>
>>Web dev and backend stuff is where I am most
>>comfortable.
> 
> 
> Sounds perfect. Backend stuff will be the invoice QSF which still needs a few 
> tweaks in src/business/business-core/gncInvoice.c and 
> src/backend/qsf/qsf-backend.c - contact me off-list if you'd like to look 
> into that and I can send you some examples.

I will read about QSF.

> 
> 2. Tips and advice on how to manage the gnucash codebase. The tools to use and 
> links to their documentation. Conventions and when to use branches.
> 
> 3. A concerted effort to bring the existing disparate docs into one cohesive 
> whole that is relevant, friendly, welcoming, genuinely helpful and bridges 
> the gap between the gnucash-docs package and the gnucash-devel archives.
> 
> 4. Regular and consistent updates to all documentation components.
> 
> Realistically, this can only be achieved by using a tool that provides write 
> access to all developers with CVS/SVN commit rights plus a few others with 
> documentation skills - i.e. some form of CMS. I'd recommend Drupal.

Sounds good, but what do you think, Derek, about 
2,3, and 4--directly above?

Sincerely,
Brian

-- 
Contagious Design!
web . design . photo

Brian Rose .  web programmer
(604)-630-2426 . brianATcontagiousdesignDOTnet



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