gnucash notes

gnucash-notes.md

gnucash notes

history and future

• Roadmap
  • Replace GObject and GLib dependencies in the core
  • Scheme minimzation
  • Register rewrite
  • Eliminate deprecated widgets and libraries
  • Remove module system
  • Model-View-Controller Pattern
  • Testing
  • Database and QOF
  • Reports
• Release Schedule
  • 6.0 - 2026-01-04 - (?)
  • 5.x - 2023-03-28 - 2025-12-21(?)
  • 4.x - 2020-06-28 - 2023-03-26

building

gnucash

https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Building_On_Linux

it appears that running make check with a previous version of gnucash installed can lead to errors...

sudo apt install libdbd-sqlite3   # XXX: unneeded if using built-in xml file format
sudo apt build-dep gnucash
git clone https://github.com/Gnucash/gnucash
cd gnucash
#git checkout 5.12
git checkout 5.13
mkdir build
cd build
# if python bindings desired:
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/.local -DWITH_PYTHON=on ..
# if python bindings not desired:
#cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/.local ..
make
make check
make install

gnucash-docs

https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Building_On_Linux

sudo apt build-dep gnucash-docs
git clone https://github.com/Gnucash/gnucash-docs
cd gnucash-docs
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/.local ..
make
make install

docs

• GnuCash Tutorial and Concepts Guide
  • Glossary
• GnuCash Manual

mailing lists

• gnucash-user
  • archives
  • search
• gnucash-devel
  • archives
  • search

sample files

• at gnucash.org/docs (gzipped xml)
  • https://gnucash.org/docs/examples/it/
  • https://gnucash.org/docs/examples/C/
• at piecash repository (sqlite inside)
  • https://github.com/sdementen/piecash/tree/master/gnucash_books
  • https://github.com/sdementen/piecash/tree/master/tests/books

multiple currency handling

• Tutorial on multiple currency accounting - Peter Selinger

misc

• python bindings (including examples and tests)

  • ~/src/gnucash/bindings/python
  • https://lists.gnucash.org/pipermail/gnucash-devel/2008-July/023431.html
  • https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Python_Bindings
  • https://code.gnucash.org/docs/STABLE/python_bindings_page.html
  • https://code.gnucash.org/docs/STABLE/group__python__bindings.html
  • https://code.gnucash.org/docs/STABLE/group__python__bindings__examples.html
  • https://codigoparallevar.com/blog/2023/programmatic-access-to-gnucash-using-python/
  • examples
    • book, accounts, transactions, splits
      • simple_test.py
    • price db
      • get_quotes.pl - fetches quotes and such via network using Finance::Quotes
      • quotes_historic.py - reads values from file and adds to price db (import)
      • priceDB_test.py - reads values from price db and prints out (export)
      • price_database_example.py - reads values from price db and prints out (export)

• guile bindings(?) and custom reports

  • ~/src/gnucash/bindings/guile
  • https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports - Scheme, Guile, Samples, etc.

• gnucash-cli

  • stable interface for doing things with gnucash?
  • fetching quotes via the net
  • report related functionality

• source for csv export

  • ~/src/gnucash/gnucash/import-export/csv-exp/csv-transactions-export.cpp

• source for Split, Transaction, Account, gnc-pricedb, gnc-commodity, etc.

  • ~/src/gnucash/libgnucash/engine/*.cpp

• build TAGS file at ~/src/gnucash using:

  • make -f Makefile.TAGS etags.files - some error output but ok?
  • make -f Makefile.TAGS TAGS

• retrieving quotes and currency info

  • perl's Finance::Quote module is used but...
    • How to get stock quotes in KMyMoney, GNUCash, or other programs using old/broken perl Finance::Quote
  • Online Quotes
  • A.1 Finance::Quote Sources
  • How can I install Perl modules without root privileges? - make it possible to use non-root install of perl module
    • https://metacpan.org/pod/local::lib#The_bootstrapping_technique
    • invocations for arranging for Finance::Quote
      • sudo apt install liblocal-lib-perl
      • echo 'eval "$(perl -I$HOME/perl5/lib/perl5 -Mlocal::lib)"' >> ~/.bashrc
      • source ~/.bashrc
      • perl -MCPAN -Mlocal::lib -e 'CPAN::install(Finance::Quote)'
      • perl -MCPAN -Mlocal::lib -e 'CPAN::install(JSON::Parse)'

• possibly worth examining

  • ~/src/gnucash/README
  • ~/src/gnucash/README.dependencies
  • ~/src/gnucash/HACKING
  • ~/src/gnucash/NEWS
  • ~/src/gnucash/contrib
  • ~/src/gnucash/util

• import csv of exported gnucash csv

  • how to import a csv of transactions
  • Export & import within GnuCash
  • tldr; doesn't seem like it works well -- write code to do import using python bindings instead
    • gnucash-importer
    • trying to write own may also be useful

• abbreviations, terms, etc.

  • qof - query object framework
  • scrubbing
  • xacc - old name of gnucash (https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.5555/374638.374646)

• posts

  • Recording T-bill reinvestments in GnuCash
  • GnuCash for Personal Finance: Transactions and Taxes

• videos

  • Personal Budgeting In GnuCash - Beginner's Guide - The Busy Bee Post