Automatic price quotes & PostgreSQL backend

[Maf. King]

On Tue 29 October 13 09:20:16 David wrote:
>  Checking out http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Online_quote
> I see:
> 
>  Warning About Open Files
> Updating quotes will modify the GNUCash file/database. As multi-user access
> is not supported (as of 2.4), the file/database should be closed prior to
> updating quotes.
> 
> 
> so it seems a bit hazardous.
> 

Hi,

I'm not a developer, but I've done a bit of cron-job script hacking over the 
years, and I'd have thought that a crude check for a running gnucash process 
and aborting the update if one is detected would be a sufficient safety net, 
possibly with a warning email that the daily update has been skipped...

0.02
Maf.


> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David <dgpickett at aol.com>
> To: sunfish62 <sunfish62 at yahoo.com>; warlord <warlord at MIT.EDU>
> Cc: gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Sent: Tue, Oct 29, 2013 9:13 am
> Subject: Re: Automatic price quotes & PostgreSQL backend
> 
> 
> I need to figure out how to call it for xml files.
> 
> Is there an option for scheduled transactions?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David T. <sunfish62 at yahoo.com>
> To: David <dgpickett at aol.com>; warlord <warlord at MIT.EDU>
> Cc: gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Sent: Mon, Oct 28, 2013 5:34 pm
> Subject: Re: Automatic price quotes & PostgreSQL backend
> 
> 
> 
> A workaround I used for a while was to create a simple shell script that
> invoked GnuCash with the "--add-price-quotes" option on my data file. I
> then was able to run this script whenever and however I wanted (for
> example, as a cron job at a certain time every day).
> 
> 
> 
> David
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    From: David <dgpickett at aol.com>
>  To: warlord at MIT.EDU
> Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>  Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 10:48 AM
>  Subject: Re: Automatic price quotes & PostgreSQL backend
> 
> 
> 
> These daemon sort of functions have traditionally been implemented either 1)
> as a second app that runs as a daemon and has these limited functions, or
> 2) as an option telling it to be a daemon (like sendmail -bd) with a second
> copy running, or 3) as a thread or periodic task in the single application.
>  The latter options keeps all code in one app, but the first two need to
> tolerate multiple users on the files or data storage.
> 
> Does the GNUCash xml storage have a RDBMS/SQL layer over it?  The xml
> storage might not be as amenable to second users as the SQL versions, but
> regardless, you have to be doing things that do not open the possibility of
> either app. overlaying the other's changes.  Prices are probably easier to
> do than scheduled transactions, as price tables are not in continuous use,
> and that mostly read only, but account registers are.  Doing it all in one
> app left running solves some of the conflict and concurrency issues.
> 
> Getting the daemon/startup launch varies by O/S.  It could be under cron or
> the Windows Task Scheduler, or could run continuously like so many pesky
> processes in windows, e.g., real_something.exe checking for updates to the
> realplayer.  In X, it could run windowless until a user logs on and runs a
> second copy, which tells the first what the DISPLAY is that it needs to add
> windows to.  It might even learn to close all windows when dismissed, but
> keep running.
> 
> 
>  Not hearing from Anthony, the original poster, so has anyone done any
> scheduled prices or transactions any way?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU>
> To: DGPickett <dgpickett at aol.com>
> Cc: gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Sent: Mon, Oct 28, 2013 11:27 am
> Subject: Re: Automatic price quotes & PostgreSQL backend
> 
> DGPickett <dgpickett at aol.com> writes:
> > Good Idea!  Did you have an success?
> > 
> > I wish GNUCash would just get the prices every day at a given time, if
> > left
> > running, or have something cron-like to keep it in sync.
> 
> Great idea!   Looking forward to your patch to implement it!
> 
> > They could do the same for generated transactions, every day just after
> > midnight.  Maybe part of GNUCash could be a daemon/service to take care of
> > such.  The storage media should not make a difference.  For xml, they can
> > put a rdbms-like daemon over the files so they can have multiple updating
> > clients.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
> 
> -derek

-- 
Maf. King
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