Funding for Bug#114421: Scheduled Invoices

[Eric Wheeler]

Hello all,

I have been using GnuCash for many years, and I use it exclusively for my 
Linux consulting business.

The most important item on the wish-list for my business is recurring/scheduled 
invoices, and I am interested in funding development:

    https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=114421

I have considered implementing the feature myself, but do not have the 
time to do; at one point I even looked for a different accounting package, 
but I like GnuCash so much I would prefer to stay with it if a developer 
willing to take on the task.

Most importantly, I would like the the feature accepted into the GnuCash 
development tree for downstream release.  Thus, it is important that the 
implementation fit the GnuCash development philosophy.

Ultimately this is the simple process I am looking for and I am open if 
you have an idea to reasonably extend the implementation's flexibility:

1. An "Invoice Template" repository.

The Invoice Template repository would allow me to write invoice templates 
for future scheduling.  The template must have some variable assignment 
that can be replaced when the template is scheduled.  For example, an 
invoice line item might look like:

Date	Desc				Qty	Cost 
$DATE_M	Hosting for $VAR_WEBSITE 	1	$VAR_HOSTING_PRICE

The date format would re-use the hotkey date assignments listed here:
   http://svn.gnucash.org/docs/guide/txns-shortcuts1.html

Such that $DATE_M would substitute as the first date of the month.


2. Binding a scheduled invoice to a customer.

   A. Select a template defined in #1 for scheduling
   B. Set the recurrency schedule (daily/weekly/monthly/yearly/whatever is
      currently supported)
   C. Select the customer to bind the scheduled invoice.
   D. Define any custom values:
        VAR_WEBSITE=www.example.com
        VAR_HOSTING_PRICE=5000.00
      A multi-line text-box with manual-input would be fine for this
      segment, though a more elegant interface which checks the template
      for variables and prompts for values would be great.

I envision updating the existing scheduled transaction interface to 
support this, however, it is my hope that a GnuCash developer will know 
the best way and location to implement this.


3. Scheduled-invoice Generation

I am open to ideas here.  Auto-generating invoices that are due 
for generation would suffice for my purposes.



Please discuss ideas on the list, I have opened a freelancer project for 
bids here:

  http://www.freelancer.com/projects/C-Programming/Add-Scheduled-Invoices-GnuCash.html

Thank you for your help!

-Eric


-- 
Eric Wheeler
President
eWheeler, Inc.
   dba Global Linux Security

www.GlobalLinuxSecurity.pro
  888-LINUX26 (888-546-8926)