The Gnucash database?

blfs blfs at comcast.net
Fri Jul 23 19:54:44 EDT 2004


----- Original Message -----
From: "Linas Vepstas" <linas at linas.org>
To: <blfs at comcast.net>
Cc: "Derek Atkins" <warlord at MIT.EDU>; <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 7:57 PM
Subject: Re: The Gnucash database?


> On Mon, Jul 19, 2004 at 05:58:47PM +0000, blfs at comcast.net was heard to
remark:
> > If you cant query the data easily loaded into the Gnucash program
> > without using the Gnucash interface that is a problem.
>
> That is not true.  Even if you could query the data outside
> of gnucash (and you can if you use the sql backend), its gets you
> very little because the data is structured in a variety of complex
> ways.  You would need to know both the accounting principles, and
> you'd have to review how gnucash builds its data tables.
>
> It would be dangerous to your data to have non-gnucash
> programs to go in and, for example, modify the SQL tables.
> It could possibly lead to bad data corruption.
>
> This is not really a statement about gnucash, but a statement about
> structured data in general.  This is what things like DSSSL, XSLT,
> and in a way, what XML were invented for to solve.
>
> --linas
>
> --
> pub  1024D/01045933 2001-02-01 Linas Vepstas (Labas!) <linas at linas.org>
> PGP Key fingerprint = 8305 2521 6000 0B5E 8984  3F54 64A9 9A82 0104 5933

This statement I very strongly disagree with.  If one
is the using the financial interface to the system, then
everything has to stay stable.  You should not be
able to get at the data except through the interface.

But especially for a program like Gnucash which is
under development, if you want to
modify the program you need to get at the data and
the easier the better.  It also should be facile to modify
the interface but that is another issue.

Also how does this SQL backend thing work?




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