Glen Ditchfield <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > How does saving work with the database back-end?
incrementally.. > I think I would want GnuCash set up so that every time I enter a financial > transaction (or add an account, or a price, or whatever) the database would > be changed immediately. In that case, "File > Save" would be a no-op, > autosaving wouldn't be useful, and GnuCash doesn't maintain backups. When you run with the PG Backend, this is indeed what happens. Save is a no-op. > If that is so, I would like the file back-end to work the same way: every > change is saved immediately, and "File > Save" is unnecessary. And keep no > backups; I (should) back up all my files, when and as necessary. Just give > me a good Undo! This is a lot more challenging, because you tend to only have incremental ADDs, not incremental DELETEs when modifying an XML file. This is a LOT more difficult that you think. Instead, I'd rather see an "embedded database" backend that _looks_ like a file but really is a database (e.g. embedded-mysql). This would give you the same feel as a file, with the same locking (single-user) semantics, but it would allow real-time, incremental storage. > In fact, I agree with Matthew Thomas > (http://mpt.phrasewise.com/stories/storyReader$374): having to save data is > interface cruft, and we'd be better off without it. Well, you still need "Save-As". Also, if you are working over a slow network file system I think it's better to be able to cache all your work locally and then push it all out at once, or at least batched. > Giving GnuCash a cruftless interface would be a lot of work. For instance, > the file back-end might need rewriting to allow incremental saves. But maybe > it's something to think about for version 2.0? Indeed. It is certainly not a 1.8 task ;) But again, I don't think it will be the File backend, per se. Incremental saves with an XML format is HARD. Tell me, how do you deal with data deletions? While I agree with your motives and intentions, I think the details need a lot of thought. -derek -- Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/ PP-ASEL-IA N1NWH [EMAIL PROTECTED] PGP key available _______________________________________________ gnucash-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.gnucash.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
