How to make a "custom" expense report [was Re: Report customization nightmare]

[Mike or Penny Novack]

>
> Suppose you wanted to buy a car ... but you can only own one that 
> always has a trailer attached to the back of it. "Just ignore it, when 
> you don't have anything to put into it" ... there's no way to not have 
> the trailer, without the car.

But it DOESN'T "always have a trailer attached.

Your example indicates you don't understand comparative effort. Your 
example implies that you were somehow unable to detach the trailer from 
the car, unable to lift it off it's ball.. Or in this case, how to use 
your favorite editor to delete an unwanted line. Yes, you have to DO 
something to detach the trailer or delete the unwanted line. And we 
analysts programmers have to do something to add features.

Now why did I say "comparative effort". You are ignoring the amount of 
work to modify the code to provide you with the ability to delete ANY 
LINE YOU WANTED FROM ANY REPORT. You are focused on THIS line you 
wouldn't want to see, but John over there would want to be able to erase 
that line and Mary some other line. Isn't it easier for all of you to 
simply delete any line you don't happen to want?

Essentially you are asking for GENERALIZED editing capability, not about 
some single line from a specific report.

Michael D Novack, FLMI

PS: No, I do NOT consider having to export the reports an "extra" step 
since if I am sane that is necessary in any case. There isn't an obvious 
length of time into the future that the reports would have to be 
readable and no assurance GnuCash would still be around 5-10 years from 
now. So I wouldn't be leaving them just stored as GnuCash reports.