[GNC] Why doesn't GnuCash have an Export function?

[Michael or Penny Novack]

> But, to the question, now that we have covered the problem that 
> brought me to this question: Why doesn't GnuCash have an export 
> functions so that one can more easily migrate from one computer system 
> to another?

Because the DATA is not dependent on the computer. This is NOT different 
from other data you are moving between computers, even ones under 
different operating systems. You do not have to export/import, you just 
have to move the FILE.

You are picturing export from the gnucash data file to a file, move that 
file to another computer, import that file (into the gnucash data file 
on the new computer). You don;t have to do that. You just move (copy) 
the data file to the new computer.(where if the PROGRAM gnucash is 
installed, you can now open the file).

Michael D Novack

>
>
> And it may be needed to migrate from Gnucash's data format to another 
> system used by one's CPA. 

THAT is another matter. If what you mean is "move to the accountant's 
computer" same as another of your own IF the accountant willing to 
install gnucash to ope it. But if you mean move data so that it can be 
opened/read by another accounting application, yes, now an export/import 
pair is needed along with a data converter since in general a different 
data format (I mean logical format, but physical data format difference 
might also be involved). The problem is, there is no agreed standard for 
an exported general ledger that all accounting applications have agreed 
to use for export/import. << what makes you think that this other 
application would be able to import the exported data without a data 
conversion step.  One specific to that pair of applications. THAT is the 
sort of thing they used to pay me to write -- "quick Mike, we need some 
data from X converted so that we can import it into our system >>


Michael D Novack