It is indeed a python package so typically you write a script. For
instance, create the file test_piecash.py with the content
# start of the file
import piecash
book = piecash.open_book("/the/path/to/your/gnucash-book.gncash")
for transaction in book.transactions:
print(transaction.post_date)
for split in transaction.splits:
print(" ", split.account.name, split.value)
print()
# end of the file
and then run it with "python test_piecash.py" and you will see all your
transactions printed (do not forget to change "
/the/path/to/your/gnucash-book.gncash" with the path to your real gnucash
file save in the SQLite format).
You can see other examples of use in the piecash doc (like on
http://piecash.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tutorial/index_existing.html#access-to-objects
)
I was answering to this thread as the topic was about the file format and
how to access the file outside gnucash ... but indeed, it requires some
programming skills (but python is one of the most accessible language out
there).
If you have further questions or remarks that are piecash specific, better
to post on https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/piecash
kr
sebastien
On Sun, Jan 28, 2018 at 12:58 PM, David T. <sunfis...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> For what it’s worth, I was able to execute “sudo pip install piecash”
> successfully, but there is a gap for me at this point: what next? Is there
> a python shell? Am I supposed to write a script file (and once written,
> would I use some python command to run it? Which command?)? What, exactly,
> did I install?
>
> Clearly, piecash isn’t for the average end user…
>
> David
>
>
> On Jan 28, 2018, at 4:31 PM, Sébastien de Menten <sdemen...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Editing a gnucash book via piecash is not the approved way of doing it
> (advice from the gnucash core team that recommends to go through the
> gnucash engine) but a very nice way ;-)
>
> However, for reading gnucash books, it is an alternative as they are many
> to choose (to read from XML, to read from SQL, ...)
>
> On Jan 28, 2018 12:03, "D" <sunfis...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Sébastien,
>>
>> I know that users are advised not to edit their Gnucash data directly; is
>> piecash an approved application to edit Gnucash data directly?
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>> On January 28, 2018, at 3:41 PM, Sébastien de Menten <sdemen...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> David,
>>
>> This is one of the key reason for piecash to exist as it does not need
>> any compilation (it is a pure python package) and works even without having
>> gnucash installed.
>> It doesn't use gnucash libraries as it reads (and writes) directly to the
>> gnucash book through SQL.
>>
>>
>> I do not have a Mac so I can't test the installation directly but it
>> should be just a matter of installing the "piecash" package available on
>> PyPI (the python package index).
>>
>> Sebastien
>>
>> On Jan 28, 2018 08:00, "David T." <sunfis...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Sebastien,
>>>
>>> The problem isn’t with Python (I am told that Macs already have Python
>>> on them). The problem as I understand it (John will no doubt correct me
>>> when my statements prove ill-informed or flat out wrong) has to do with the
>>> fact that GnuCash requires a specific version of Python, which can only be
>>> guaranteed by compiling GnuCash with the current version of Python. Short
>>> of shipping GnuCash with a complete Python installation, the only way
>>> around this is for individual users to compile locally. Which, as I noted,
>>> is a painful process for me. But thanks for the information.
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jan 28, 2018, at 11:55 AM, Sébastien de Menten <sdemen...@gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello David,
>>>
>>> Regarding the use of python on windows and Mac, Anaconda has made a huge
>>> difference in the last years providing all packages in an easy precompiled
>>> version.
>>> You can have a look at https://conda.io/docs/user-
>>> guide/install/macos.html for the installation (which is simple and does
>>> not require any compiler).
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jan 28, 2018 05:42, "D" <sunfis...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ah, yes that was my incorrect reference. Sorry for the crossed
>>>> reference.
>>>>
>>>> I will note that my confusion stems in part from the fact that, as a
>>>> Mac user, I have never used anything to do with python and Gnucash, on
>>>> account of the high barrier to install the proper toolsets (i.e., compiling
>>>> yourself). My previous attempts at this process always ended in frustration
>>>> and failure. As a consequence, when I see anything that mentions python and
>>>> Gnucash, my eyes glaze over.
>>>>
>>>> In the past, there hasn't been much to recommend beating my head
>>>> against that wall, but perhaps the time has come to see what happens at
>>>> this time, since there eh to be increasing numbers of ways to use python
>>>> with Gnucash data.
>>>>
>>>> David
>>>>
>>>> On January 28, 2018, at 12:55 AM, John Ralls <jra...@ceridwen.us>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I suspect David was thinking of CuteCash, Christian Stimming’s
>>>> experimental Qt GUI.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> John Ralls
>>>>
>>>> > On Jan 27, 2018, at 10:44 AM, Sébastien de Menten <
>>>> sdemen...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > Hello David,
>>>> >
>>>> > I saw you were mentioning piecash in your message. If you talk about
>>>> > http://piecash.readthedocs.io/en/latest/, it is not a proof of
>>>> concept for
>>>> > a frontend but an alternative to the gnucash python bindings to work
>>>> with
>>>> > gnucash books stored in any of the 3 SQL backends (SQLite, postgres
>>>> and
>>>> > MySQL) and is alive and maintained (last release on the 20th December
>>>> 2017).
>>>> >
>>>> > The following article https://arachnoid.com/gnucash_utilities/ shows
>>>> some
>>>> > interesting use cases for it.
>>>> >
>>>> > With gnucash 3.0, piecash will also allow you to write your own
>>>> reports
>>>> > using si python and jinja2 (work in progress).
>>>> >
>>>> > For people interested to contribute, https://github.com/sdementen/p
>>>> iecash.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > On Jan 27, 2018 18:27, "D via gnucash-user" <gnucash-user@gnucash.org
>>>> >
>>>> > wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > Mike,
>>>> >
>>>> > There is nothing new as far as I know about the file formats. You are
>>>> right
>>>> > that the primary benefit to using sql is being able to generate data
>>>> sets
>>>> > from sql that can used in reports. Processing a data file is no
>>>> quicker in
>>>> > sql, since it all gets loaded in at start up. Sql, moreover, adds a
>>>> > database manager role to the mix; many users are not prepared to
>>>> learn how
>>>> > to manage a database platform to manage their financial accounts.
>>>> >
>>>> > I stick with the XML because it also can store the data compressed;
>>>> when
>>>> > dealing with the main data file and all its copies, the difference
>>>> between
>>>> > 3mb and 13mb adds up quickly.
>>>> >
>>>> > Piecash, as I understand it, was a proof-of-concept experiment to see
>>>> > whether a python front end could be designed. It has not been
>>>> maintained
>>>> > for some years now, and I recall recent discussion about changing its
>>>> > status with the project.
>>>> >
>>>> > As far as I know, there has been no change in recommendation to stay
>>>> with
>>>> > xml.
>>>> >
>>>> > David
>>>> >
>>>> > On January 27, 2018, at 12:13 PM, Adrien Monteleone <
>>>> > adrien.montele...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > I switched from XML to SQLite about a year ago. I perceive a
>>>> performance
>>>> > improvement on loading, but that’s about it. (and I generally never
>>>> shut
>>>> > the app down anyway)
>>>> >
>>>> > I haven’t attempted any custom reporting yet, but I plan to.
>>>> >
>>>> > I could be mistaken, but I think PyCash is designed to parse the XML
>>>> file
>>>> > so you can still get the reporting you want.
>>>> >
>>>> > Regards,
>>>> > Adrien
>>>> >
>>>> >> On Jan 27, 2018, at 12:55 AM, Mike Stillingfleet <
>>>> > mikestillingfl...@fastmail.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Dear All,
>>>> >>
>>>> >> XML is the default when creating a new file.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I have seen various quite dated questions about the decision process
>>>> of
>>>> > selecting which db to use.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I think that the main advantage of using MySQL would be the ability
>>>> to
>>>> > generate custom reports.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Are there any other advantages and are there any differences in the
>>>> > interface between the various db's. Does the forum still recommend
>>>> XML.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Regards
>>>> >>
>>>> >> --
>>>> >> Mike Stillingfleet
>>>> >> mikestillingfl...@fastmail.co.uk
>>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>>> >> gnucash-user mailing list
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>>>
>
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