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

Steve Thompson stevet at wkyr.net
Mon Dec 5 09:08:39 EST 2022


Thank you, and others who posted.

So I went looking for the Gnu Cash installation files (that is 
what was installed and actually being used) and after looking at 
the 2.6 Migrating GnuCash Data for a second time, I now 
understand the *files *I need to copy over (not as bad as the 
Thunderbird migration -- since my system is beyond their 2GB 
limit....). So I can make this file copy  happen within minutes 
since all my systems are connected to a file server (something 
newish that I've gotten working).

And I also had the opportunity to read the 2.5 Backing Up and 
Recovering Data. I like this!!

But cutting to the chase, I thought that since GnuCash imports 
QIF, that perhaps that should be one of the EXPORT options.

Why?  Because the CPAs that I have been involved with all ask for 
data in that format so they can more easily do our tax returns. 
(Not a fan of Quicken since they bought Parson's and destroyed 
MoneyCounts -- they did this to get the customer list.... long 
story ancient history now).

And I realize that Gnu Cash is "free" software, but I do 
contribute to different groups whose software I use. So as soon 
as I can get my company restarted, this is high on my list.

Regards,
Steve Thompson


On 12/4/2022 9:50 PM, Michael or Penny Novack wrote:
>
>> 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
>
>
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