close books

[Derek Atkins]

Robin Chattopadhyay <robinraymn at gmail.com> writes:

> I added the following suggestion to Bug # 570042
> https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=570042.
>
> I have an alternative suggestion.
>
> In short: Update the database schema to include a boolean flag at
> transaction (or split) level to identify the transaction as a book-closing
> transaction.
>
> At a minimum:
> * Update the database schema (sqlite, postgres, mysql) to add a column to
> the transactions table called "closing_entry".
> * Update the XML schema to add an element called "<trn:closing-entry>".

This would be a backwards-incompatible change.  The real way to do this
is to use a KVP entry.  Patches welcome (it should be really easy to add
this KVP entry).  See the Transaction Notes APIs for how this can be
done -- although that uses a string, not a boolean, but the concept is
the same.

> * Update income/expense related reports to exclude any transactions where
> the closing entry flag is set to 'y'.
> * Update the Close Books routine to set the closing entry flag to 'y' for
> each transaction created by the routine.

This might be a little more challenging, but should be doable.

> Possible addition:
> * Update the report customization screens to give users an option to exclude
> the closing entries from the report.
> * The default for the option would be 'exclude'.
>
> Honestly, I have a hard time envisioning a use case for the include/exclude
> option, but users (myself included) seem to prefer customization over the
> application making a choice for you.

I don't feel this option is necessary.

[snip]
>> What would be NICE would be to allow a "special date" for book closing (one
>> no in the real calendar).

Unfortunately we use real system date routines for all this, so there's
no way to encode a fake date.

>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
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-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available