SQL Backend?

[Albert Lash]

> That's right; each backend is basically stand-alone.  Of course it shares a
> rough outline with the runtime object model and XML data-model, just by
> nature.

Hmm, I'm a little confused now. The code referenced earlier had to do
with GDM, right? And GDM was replaced by QOF? Or is it that they two
are different, QOF is used for managing an XML flat file database, and
GDM is used for SQL connectivity? I was thinking that QOF could be
connected to a SQL backend via ODBC or something.


> If you see concrete opportunities for sharing, by all means write it up.

Definitely. I still have a lot of learning about how GnuCash works
though, as well as work to do on PBooks.

> I'm sure it's going to come down to the models being just different enough,
> either because of historical warts or just reasonably different application
> functionality, that they data models will "want" to be different.  Not to
> discourage, but it feels like an extra level of effort to try to keep two
> application's data models in some sort of sync.

It very well could be more work than its worth, but its at least worth
finding out! :-) It is doubtful that the "fringe" data required by a
bookkeeping system (like customers, vendors, and inventory) could be
kept in sync, but it might be possible and worthwhile for the core
(financial data only - accounts and transactions) to be interoperable.

> At the same time, I'd be really interested to know how different from the
> XRBL model gnucash is.  I could just look at the specs, I guess.

Here's some links I found helpful in researching XBRL:

http://gl.iphix.net/

http://xbrl.emporia.edu/2006/index.php

Is there a basic description of the GnuCash data model around
anywhere? Is this information only accessible in the code at the
moment? I've read about the accounts, transactions, and splits, and
these coincide fairly well with pbooks' accounts, entries,
entry_amounts, and transactions.

- Albert