[GNC] GUID Register Codes

[David Cousens]

Stephen,
The GUUIDs are used internally within the GnuCash code to identify an
account/register.Each GUUID is associated with a specific account name and
position in the account tree heirarchy. There is usually no need for a user to
know what they are or to access them except in advanced debugging of the code.

If you save your data file in uncompressed XML format ( not in the same location
your data file is usually stored in, e.g. use the Downloads directory to store
the uncmpressed data file) with the compress files checkbox unchecked in the
General Tab of the Edit Preferences menu to a location on your hard disk you,
you can open the xml format file with a text editor.  Then do file save as and
save the file in the format you normally use so GnuCash is again pointing at
your normal data file and not the uncompressed xml vesion you have just created.

If you open both the corresponding .gcm file and the uncompressed data file in
the text editor you can copy the guid from the .gcm file and then search for it
in the uncompressed xml version of the datafile. 

The account tree data is located within tags of the form
 
<gnc:account version="2.0.0"> </gnc:account>

 and will contain a records of the form

<act:name>Cash in Wallet</act:name>
<act:id type="guid">8ad4a8287286721a15ca3df0e1d1325a</act:id>

among others.

If you copy the guuid of the register you want to identify from the .gcm file
and search for a record with
 
<act:id type="guid">copied guuid</act:id>

in the uncompressed xml data file you will be able to identify the account name
and the other account data associated with the register.

Only ever do this on a copy of your datafile not the original as the risk of
making the datafile unusable if you accidentally change anything and then save
the changes to the file is quite high.Preferrably always keep an unedited backup
copy of the data file as well jut to be sure.

David Cousens


On Fri, 2023-12-29 at 17:30 -0600, Stephen wrote:
> The previous postings about "Balance Column Lost" have led me to ask 
> about GUID register codes as I repaired some column width problems. By 
> trial and error I was able to modify the .GCM file to repair the width 
> of a couple of columns that I had narrowed (not to 0 or 1 but 5). Adrien 
> Monteleone's guidance worked very well although scrolling looking for a 
> small width was faster than a search after 0 and 1 produced no results. 
> So Thanks!  I am still stumped by the registries GUID codes. How can I 
> find out which register is referenced by each of the GUID codes, please? 
> I have a feeling that it may have something to do with SQL but that too 
> has eluded me in past efforts open SQL files and make any sense of it. 
> Appreciate any guidance...the more simple the better! Thank you.
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