Initial Draft application for Python Scripting Engine

[Christian Stimming]

Dear Rahul,

Zitat von Rahul Gaur <rahul.nbg at gmail.com>:
>   I've made some corrections to my application.Is it better now ?what more
> should I add ..?

thanks for the additions. However, the basic problem in your  
application has not received much of an improvement: The main parts of  
your text are just some "generic programming project" description, but  
not at all specific to gnucash. Hence, from your applications it is  
not yet obvious whether you already have spent time and thinking on  
how your goals can be implement *specifically* in the gnucash project.  
I mean, from our point of view you can start working with gnucash  
nevertheless, but the GSoC staff that takes the final decision on your  
application might want to see further evidence that you've already got  
to know the gnucash project specifically.

Also, the sentence "reporting engine,which primarily involves  
migrating all of the current reporting scripts to python" is grossly  
underestimating the time of "migrating all reports" and hence is  
rather unrealistic. Instead, you should *now* decide on one or two  
specific  things that you will want to migrate to python or implement  
in python. User-visible things.

> Apart from this I've thinking of introducing a feature so that generated
> reports can directly be exported to some cloud service so that user have
> the access to reports even on a report system.If any thing similar to this
> is in the loop  please let me know.

Currently nobody is working on anything similar. Your idea is good.  
Maybe you should focus your application more on this particular idea  
and feature. I believe this will result in a better application than  
discussing the abstract notion of "working on python engine in  
gnucash". Incidentally, your "upload" feature (either for the data  
file, or for generated reports, or both) might be implemented in  
python as well, once you've added some minor missing parts to the  
python module in gnucash. Hence, probably your application should  
emphasize your feature idea as the main goal, and mention the python  
engine only as a way to implement your main goal. I think this will  
make your application better.

Best Regards,

Christian

>
>  *Basic Information*
>
> Student name:Rahul Gaur
>
> Location: Meerut City , UP ,India,
>
> Home Town :New Delhi ,India
>
> Email:rahul.nbg at gmail.com
>
> Instant messaging contact details (Skype or similar):iamaregee/iamaregee2 on
> IRC (irc.ubuntu.com)
>
> Phone : +91-8755426793
>
> *Background/Programming Information:*
>
> I've experience of building GNU cash from source via SVN on a linux system.A
> few years ago,I learned C++ and Java as a part of my School curriculum.While
> this is my first year in college ,Now I am pursuing Bachelors in Engineering
> and my Major is in Computer Science.So I am learning C and Python here in
> College.By the time GsoC 2011 starts ,I will be done with my end semester
> exams and equiped with skills to work full time on coding,so I wan't to do
> some good project in order to strengthen my foundations in understanding of
> Sofware Systems.
>
>
>
> *What project in GnuCash would you like to work on?*
>
> I would Like to work on Python reporting and Scripting engine for Gnu cash
> over my summer vacations.
>
> *What will be the result of your project :*
>
> Upon the successful development of the scripting engine ,primarily all the
> current reporting scripts will be migrated to python plus it will open the
> possibilites of implementing various new financial reports as python has a
> vast  accounting library support.For instance libraries like matplotlib,
> PyCompta can be used to genrate graphs and reports in xml,html and pdf
> formats.While in the long run,python being a more common scripting
> language,it will be easier for developers to contribute to the code and
> improve the efficiency.
>
> *How do you propose to solve the problem(s) posed in the project you'd like
> to work on?*
>
> *Project Schedule :*
>
> While I plan to follow the description given in the idea of the
> proposal.I've already familiarised my self with the working of GNU cash (v
> 2.4.4 SVNr20419).I took a brief idea of sample python scripts.As I've
> already stated , I've my University exams from 8th to 30thof May ,so during
> this period I will be in touch with the GNUCash community through
> emails.During the time before exams ,I hope to :
>
>    -
>
>    Get to know the mentor and other community members.
>    -
>
>    Going through Devloper Docs.
>    -
>
>    Understand working of the reporting engine.
>    -
>
>    Brainstorm plans with the community.
>
>
>
> After I am Done with my exams , I plan to Procede as follows :
>
> *Program time-line :*
>
>    -
>
>    To create a more accurate programing timetable.
>    - Initial step would be to work on already included python patch in order
>    build the scripting engine which interacts with gnu cash and do the
>    functions like accessing the entries in the Database.This will be
>    followed by working on the reporting engine,which primarily involves
>    migrating all of the current reporting scripts to python.This milestone
>    will be done with implementing various  python libraries like
>    quantalib,matplotlib and other similar libraries for various reports.
>    - Then I will work on extending python programs with C which involves
>    modifying current C programs to support new python engine .
>    - Updating community of my progress weekly via blog updates.
>    - Will spend some time tweaking the User interface, in order to make it
>    more appealing and convenient.
>    -
>
>    Start with testing and improving throughput of the code before midterm
>    evaluations (ie: july 15th ).
>    -
>
>    Start pulling together the documentation and coding.
>
>
>    - While in testing phase , I will also finish writing documentations as
>    well.