[GNC] XML vs SQL data integrity question

GWB gwb at 2realms.com
Fri May 8 03:03:12 EDT 2020


Have you tried sqlite? I don't know how it works on Windows but it might
just save it as a file without setting up a salute back end. Maybe try that
when you have time.

Gordon

On Fri, May 8, 2020, 1:27 AM Jeff <beastmaster126 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> On 5/7/2020 8:28 PM, GWB wrote:
> > The idea about the images is a very good one.  Invoices, receipts,
> > etc., would do fine in digital format.
> >
> > No question that databases are capable of much greater depth,
> > granularity and ability to search and change.  However, in defense of
> > the humble xml text file, I give you this:
> >
> > cat GnuCash-xml-file.gnucash | grep -B 1 -A 1 date-posted | less
> >
> > Which shows every date-posted field and date, and one line before and
> > one line after.
> >
> > And:
> >
> > cat GnuCash-xml-file.gnucash | grep -B 6 -A 3 2019-10-13 | less
> >
> > Which finds all transactions with date 2019-10-13, the guid,
> > Description, Currency, etc. (B 6 = 6 lines before, A 3 = 3 lines
> > after).
> >
> > Not to mention awk and sed, which can do much more complicated things
> > with the search and replace terms.  But don't try this without a
> > current backup.  awk and sed can very  easily ruin a file if just one
> > argument for regrep replace is off by the slightest term.
> >
> > But if you can get a command line with bash, or something close, and
> > you saved a copy as xml, you probably can't do that kind of damage
> > with grep (but of course, someone will prove this wrong).  If you want
> > to save your search results:
> >
> > cat GnuCash-xml-file.gnucash | grep -B 6 -A 3 2019-10-13 >
> > all-transactions-2019-10-13.txt
> >
> > Will give you a file with all the transactions from that date with
> > surrounding fields.  You might need to use ">>" instead of ">" with
> > some shells.
> >
> > Then you can see them by:
> >
> > less all-transactions-2019-10-13.txt
> >
> > Which then lets you scroll up, down, search within results, etc.
> >
> > Grep, less and a few shell commands are much easier to learn than sql
> > query language in my opinion.  But no question a database has lots of
> > advantages over a text file.
> >
> > Gordon
> >
> > On Thu, May 7, 2020 at 7:32 PM Jeff <beastmaster126 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> On 5/7/2020 11:18 AM, Gregory Gincley wrote:
> >>> Sounds like you have a couple of issues happening there.
> >>>
> >>> I have no experience with Windows, but I've used the postgres backend
> >>> in linux for many years without issue.
> >>>
> >>> I also periodically save to the XML format as a backup.
> >>>
> >>> -Greg
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, 2020-05-07 at 00:07 -0500, Jeff wrote:
> >>>> This has probably been discussed here before but; I'm going ask
> >>>> anyway.
> >>>> Which do most people find more reliable with GNC, SQL or the default
> >>>> XML?  And are there any features I would lose other than the
> >>>> rollback
> >>>> ability with SQL?
> >>>>
> >>>> I'm getting tired of having to track down account and report issues
> >>>> every time Windoze 10 hiccups.  I use the default XML,
> >>>> uncompressed.
> >>>> One set of books has been corrupted several times, I'm assuming when
> >>>> Windoze just simply kills the GNC program out of the blue.  I have
> >>>> another set of books for a business that so far, knock on wood,  the
> >>>> only problem is sometimes various buttons have to be selected
> >>>> multiple
> >>>> times to work then all of the windows open in GNC blur while
> >>>> processing
> >>>> then go back to normal display.
> >>>>
> >>>> My computers are all networked and dual boot Windoze and Ubuntu, so
> >>>> I
> >>>> would need SQL on both sides if I switch over.  I'm leaning towards
> >>>> PostgreSQL (pro's, con's?  Suggestions?).
> >>>>
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> >>> .
> >> I like Greg's idea of periodically saving back to xml.  Had not thought
> >> of that.  I do prefer the uncompressed XML format because it is
> >> basically just one big text file, that makes it easier for me to do
> >> global search and replace if I have to.  And I'm going to have to, I
> >> wasn't thinking and moved some images that I had linked to
> >> transactions.  I've been toying with the idea of writing a companion
> >> product for the sole purpose of storing the images, then I don't have to
> >> worry about file names or locations, just switching windows.
> >>
> >> I want to say the data issue popped up in GNC 2.6(?) and happened again
> >> last week in version 3.8.  With every new release of GNC I do a complete
> >> uninstall of the old version before I upgrade to the next version of
> >> GNC. Windoze 10 is current on both machines.  And to my knowledge GNC is
> >> the only program I've had this problem with.  It could possibly be a
> >> windoze/virus software issue but I would expect it on both machines.
> >>
> >> I think I will give SQL a try and see how I like it.  I've always been
> >> more comfortable using databases than text files for indexed data
> >> storage anyway.
> >>
> >> --
> >> --JEffrey Black M.B.A.
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see
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> >> -----
> >> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> >> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
> > .
>
> It's been awhile since I have used awk and sed.  Somewhere along the way
> I uninstalled the windoze equivalents and have forgotten a lot of the
> features available.  One tends to get lazy in windoze. Not case
> sensitive, mediocre editors (notepad++ excluded), etc. The main plus is
> the abundance of jpeg utilities.
>
> Just spent a couple hours I couldn't afford to waste trying to install
> PostgreSQL and mysql.  Neither of which will accept a file from GNC.
> After I finish the last of these damned tax returns I can play with them
> again.  At one time I had mysql installed and it worked, I uninstalled
> it because I wasn't using it at the time and needed the disk space.
> Now, nothing but error messages.  I have to have bits twiddled somewhere
> in my windoze installs that shouldn't be.  Figures, Windoze is the only
> legal computer virus in the world.
>
> --
> --JEffrey Black M.B.A.
>
>


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