Reminders

[Robert Uhl]

Derek Atkins <warlord at mit.edu> writes:
> 
> > I'd rather not have a splash screen, and have the app usable
> > immediately...  It's a pity that it couldn't delay loading more
> > things, so that at least the register popped up quickly.
> 
> First you complain that it sits there and does nothing, and then you
> complain about a splash screen coming up and telling you it's doing
> something...  Geez!  Make up your mind!  ;-)

*grin*

Well, I don't generally care for splash screens.  They don't really
serve a real purpose IMHO; they're just a sop when an app is such a slow
starter that users begin to wonder if it started or not.  Plus, when
one's using a window manager with window-placement, they can be quite
annoying (no idea if gnucash's is; I've not used window-placement in
awhile).

> Also, the register itself never comes up on its own--it always starts
> at the chart of accounts.  And unfortunately it cannot delay loading
> stuff.

One would think that it might be possible to load a minimal set of
exactly what's necessary to tot up the sums for the accounts and
calculate net worth (about which more later), display the register and
then continue loading in the background.  Probably this is already
what's happening:-)

> It's also harder for developers because IMHO fewer developers know
> scheme than C, and wrapping their brains around the data-flow is just
> too hard.

Oh, that'll change, given time.  I myself am doing all my new
programming in (bad) Scheme.

> It's worse for users because it's slower to startup (as you've seen)
> and IMHO users don't seem to benefit much from the ability to extend
> gnucash through scheme--partly because the hooks are confusing, and I
> suspect partly because they are not well documented.

That's my problem.  I'd _really_ like to be able to extend gnucash in a
few ways (most importantly, automated sum-of-digits depreciation), and
every time I've taken a look at the code, I can't even begin to figure
it out.  Then there's the fact that huge sections of the website and
docs don't seem to have been updated in years.  But of course it's a
volunteer effort.  If I ever figure any of it out, then I'll definitely
document the interfaces I use.

[re: 1.8]

> > Well, you've inspired me to set forth and do it.  We'll see what
> > happens...
> 
> Good.

It actually wasn't too painful.  The only real bother was finding the
advanced option to turn off notebook mode.  Once that was done it was
pretty straightforward.  A couple of comments & problems:

o I miss my Net Worth display.  Net Assets and Net IBM are nice, but I'd
  love to have them added together, so I can see with one glance.
  Perhaps there's an option somewhere?

o Scheduled transactions look pretty cool.  The link from the scheduled
  transaction editor to the help docs is broken, though (and the
  Scheduled Transactions item in the table of contents takes one to
  Usage...).  There's also an odd bug where sometimes an editor field
  will fill with gobbledygook, but one can work around it.  I'm going to
  be playing with this bit quite a lot.

o Report windows still open up small and need to be expanded.  I suppose
  I'll open a bug for it.  The Cash Flow report is pretty cool, but
  terribly slow.

o In the Account Summary report, the discounted price I get on my
  company's stock is considered the exchange rate, not the latest stock
  price.  This distorts the report...

o I miss the black horizontal separator lines in the register; the lack
  makes it harder to read.

Overall, though, it looks pretty cool.  Gnucash gets better every year
(although sometimes I miss the Motif version...).  If I could find the
time, I'd contribute.  Sooner or later, one imagines I will.

-- 
Robert Uhl <ruhl at 4dv.net>
We will print no letters to the editor.  We will give no space to
opposing points of view.  They are wrong.  The Underground Grammarian is
at war and will give the enemy nothing but battle.
                     --The Underground Grammarian