transaction meta data

[Thomas Troesch]

Hello devel:

I am interested in the ability to make links to images.  see
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=336843

As I looked into this, the notion came to me that a more general and
user accessible meta data interface may satisfy image links as well as
another long standing enhancement request: classes see
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=113772.  Another more recent need
might also be addressed: dates see
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=600374.

The structure for this seems to be in place, namely the KVP interface.
 There are at least two things missing - a link field type and the user
interface to make it useful.

What I am suggesting ( in a very skeleton way ) is that the Description
field be changed, optionally, to be a popup type.   With the popup, the user
could maintain attributes with the following form:
  type:  one of LINK,LIST,NOTE,DATE
  name: string, not required
  value: of TYPE, not required

LIST,NOTE,DATE are types that already have a GnuCash interface.

The KVP frame could store the data.

LINK is new, and would need something like GtkFileChooser support along
with appropriate validation.  Of course, a new LINK field type would require
much more thought.  ( I have used in other situations the notion of a 'root'
that is pre-pended to the link text, which makes things much easier to
maintain and backup. )

As an example:

LINK | BILL | rent/jan09.tiff
LINK | letter | rent/jan09/fire_report.tiff
NOTE |   | The RB wants to charge me a full month when the place burned down
Jan 12th?
LINK | letter | rent/jan09/letter1.odt

Filters would need a new tab for meta data, and reports would need a sample.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thomas