[GNC-dev] How do I get the "sign" (or side) of the transaction from the account or transaction element in xml?

[Geert Janssens]

Op zondag 11 juli 2021 10:36:40 CEST schreef Arman Schwarz:
> Hi Frank, I'm not sure how this helps. Are you suggesting that I should
> change the way the GUI renders the balances? I had hoped to instead just
> find a way to programmatically know the sign of the balance from looking at
> the XML. If that makes sense.
> 
Alas, that doesn't make sense in a few ways.

Firstly transactions don't have balances in gnucash, but I guess you mean 
splits. Those have positive or negative quantities and values. Positive values 
represent debits, negative ones are credits.

Secondly, if you want to manipulate data directly (which voids your waranty by 
the way ;-), you have to think in terms of those credit and debit signs,  
because that's how the data internally is signed. The way it's represented in 
the GUI is a matter of taste and influenced by the preferences Frank already 
pointed you at.

Our tutorial and concepts guide should give you some information on how the 
accounting equation works, which is the basis for the double accounting 
gnucash is implementing. Perhaps that gives you some more insight.

Regards,

Geert

PS
I quickly looked at your code and notice you have chosen to parse the xml data 
file directly outside of gnucash. While you are certainly free to do so, do 
know that gnucash development will ignore that completely and you may end  up 
with unexpected data format changes at random releases (hence the "voided 
warranty" claim earlier on).
We also provide python bindings. Perhaps those can do what you need as well ?