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

[Michael Leone]

On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 4:31 PM, Mike or Penny Novack
<stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> 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.

I do understand. You just don't seem to agree with my conclusions and
expectations.

> 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.

True, programmers do. I speak of end users, who (usually) are not
programmers. In the example discussed, the only way to remove the
sections of the report that I wish to customize would be for me to
re-program a copy of the report, using a programming language (guile,
I presume). And my contention, this entire time and multiple threads,
is that expecting an *ordinary end user* (read: non-computer
technically oriented or skilled)  to learn a programming language, to
remove an account from a report *that you didn't choose to be on the
report in the first place*, is unrealistic, user antagonist, and
really should be addressed.

And that was just an example. If I had a need for other reports, I
might find other examples of design and implementation that could use
improvement.

> 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?

It would be. But I can't. I did not choose the Revenue account to be
displayed on the report, yet it is there, even though it was not
chosen on the options screen. And yes, I realize that this report is
(somewhat) ill-suited to the task I wish to put it to. But it's the
closest I can get, by customizing a copy of an existing report.

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

Yes, I know what I am asking for. I was asking for a report to not
include accounts and balances that I did not chose (Revenue), and am
asking for it to not include a Profit/Loss calculation (although there
is no specific option to turn that off).

>
> 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.

Not knowing you, I don't know if you're sane or not. :-) But just
because *you* don't consider it an unnecessary step, to remove
something from the report that I didn't choose to be there, doesn't
mean I, and others, feel the same way that you do.

If the report hadn't printed a section showing an account that was not
chosen as one to include on the report, then it would *not* be
necessary to bring the report into an editor, or convert to HTML and
open it in some office suite that I am not have or want. I would just
print it, since it would be what I had wanted, had asked for, and had
gotten. So - in that case - bringing it into an editor/performing
other steps would not be sane, since I already would have had what I
need,

> 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.

Then don't. But why shouldn't I, if I choose to?