Custom Reports and Backup

Colin Scott gnucash at double-bars.net
Thu May 28 10:43:00 EDT 2009


Thanks for that - including the timely reminder about backup!

However, my issue doesn't relate to where *I* store my user data, but
where Gnucash does!  To explain: in my view, custom reports are
functionally not part of the system installation, they are a part of the
user data.  This is because a report customised for one set of books is
unlikely to be right for another (and indeed contains a title that is
probably books-specific).  Moreover, as implemented the custom report
definition stores a list of the accounts included in the report which is
necessarily specific to one individual set of books.  So, functionally
and practically, custom reports belong with the accounts data, not the
installation data, and the (relevant) definitions should be read in
whenever a new set of accounts is opened, not just when gnucash is
started.

This is not about backup, by the way, but distribution.  As Treasurer of
my Rotary Club I need to be able to pass the books over to my deputy (or
other substitute) if ever I am not going to be available.  Ideally, I
should be able to put everything required in a single directory, because
otherwise my substitute is going to have to understand far more about
this system than would otherwise be necessary.

In practice, my solution for passing over the books is to have a
pen-drive set up with PortableApps and the PortableApps version of
GnuCash, so the substitute doesn't need to install GnuCash to be able to
do the necessary.  All I then need do is ensure that the up-to-date books
are also on the pen-drive before handing it over.  But as things are I
also have to remember to copy the saved_reports file (and the different
obscure places it is held in by he different versions), which is a pain!

> Does windows support that?

No.  (Well, it does, but not the way you would want it to. )-:

Colin


More information about the gnucash-user mailing list