Invoice Formatting (Windows)

[Geert Janssens]

On Sunday 10 April 2016 10:40:53 Adam wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I've been tearing my hair out trying to alter the default invoice
> format for GNUCash 2.6.11. I've been trying to alter the
> easy-invoice.scm (and/or invoice.scm) file at:
> C:\Program Files
> (x86)\gnucash\share\gnucash\guile-modules\gnucash\report
> 
Hi,

It's not a good idea to change a report directly in the installation location of gnucash - 
particularly not on Windows (see below).

Instead create a custom report based on one of those included with gnucash. You can find 
more information on creating custom reports here:

http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports


> To start with, I've just been trying to alter the text about
> "patronage" at the end, but nothing I do is reflected in the invoice
> I create in GNUCash. Does anyone know the sequence of steps which
> *ought* to work to change this text? I I can establish that, then
> hopefully I can make my own progress with trial and error, if nothing
> else!

It won't work due to the way Windows treats the directories under program files. When an 
ordinary user makes a change to a file in one of those directories, Windows stores this change 
in a copy of the file in a virtual store instead of in the original file. GnuCash however won't see 
this virtual store. Instead it simply continues to work with the original file. For the exact details 
on how this virtual storage of Windows works I suggest you use google or MSDN.

Regards,

Geert