[GNC] General Ledger

[Michael or Penny Novack]

On 3/29/2020 7:12 PM, Adrian Yong wrote:
> Hi Michael,
>
> *_Your Point No. 5 is interesting._*
>
> Gnucash's instruction is Export XXXXX to csv. One would be led to 
> believe that the file type is automatically csv. But in reality, you 
> are saying that it can export to any format provided you specify the 
> file type as an extension to the filename.
>
> All your other comments are relevant if we get this file type 
> specification step correct.
>
> Regards,
> Adrian

You misunderstand.  A file extension "announces" what the data type of a 
file is. It does NOT make it so. And "type" can be understood at many 
levels. Thus .csv stands for "comma separated variables" which would be 
a description of the data at a lowish level, a series of ":records" each 
consisting of a number of fields with the comma as the delineator" 
between the fields. It does NOT specify the meaning of this data. Thus 
that COULD be data that would make sense if used in a spreadsheet but 
could also be data that would not.

ANY file can be considered at the lowest level as type "binary". When a 
file has extension .exe that is telling the computer that the file 
should be an executable program. But "run" isn't the only thing I might 
do with a program. People like myself who could read machine code might 
want to  examine it (open under the control of a hex editor).

So back to what you started with, gnucash can export to some file types, 
in this case.csv AND it so happens that this comma separated data would 
make sense if opened by a spreadsheet application. That application 
MIGHT be MS Excel. It might also be somebody else's spreadsheet app. I 
will repeat, ALL that a file extension is doing is telling your computer 
what to do with an object when you double click it IF you have created 
an association between that file extension and the app << you tell your 
machine "with this extension use that app" ---- if you have never done 
this you are probably using just default associations. Thus Microsoft 
wants you to use their products so Windows comes with defaults set that 
way. The don't want you to know you have a choice >>

Michael D Novack