[GNC] gnucash suggestions

[J. A. Harris]

I have been using gnucash for almost 10 years now.  I have downloaded
the source code and even made some changes to it that I consider
improvement.  There are other changes that I think would be a good
idea.  If this is not the place to share such comments, I apologize.

 1. I use gnucash on a computer with a large screen,  I have a source
    code modification that adds including the Assoc and Notes fields to
    the single-line Basic Ledger view.  For me, those fields are too
    important to require going double-line (which cuts in half the
    entries in the window) and there is plenty of room on a desktop
    monitor to accommodate the extra width needed. I think this would be
    a nice option for many users.
 2. Add a new Generic and INC+EXP account.  No doubt this violates basic
    accounting rules but for an amateur like me, it is useful to have a
    single book in which I can separate sections like reserves,
    retirement, and operating items.  Accounts of type Generic could
    have sub-accounts of any type.  Accounts of type INC+EXP would act
    as an Income account and as Expense account. For example, if there
    were a mixture of Income and Expense accounts under a INC+EXP
    account, a search in the tax system for Income accounts would find
    them and a search for Expense accounts would find them.  As it
    stands now, that top level account must be either Income or Expense
    and Income accounts are not found if the top-level account is
    Expense and vice-versa. (With an INC+EXP type, it would also permit
    restricting subaccounts under Income to be just Income and under
    Expense just Expense.)
 3. Sorting occurs in many different places: in register displays, in
    reports, in the listing of accounts in the transfer field, etc.  If
    the natural sort organization for my accounts is by account code, I
    find it confusing inconvenient when that is not the default sorting
    used in reports, budgets, transfer menu, etc.
 4. Give the users the ability to create new "currencies".  There are a
    number of occasions where I have assets which have a dollar value
    but the accounting of that asset uses a different measure.  Some
    examples include airline loyalty points, miles driven that have a
    tax deduction value, etc.   Doing this through FUND or NYSE does not
    work because those things cannot be used in account types where
    Currencies can be used.


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Dr. J. A. Harris