Have you tried sqlite? I don't know how it works on Windows but it might just save it as a file without setting up a salute back end. Maybe try that when you have time.
Gordon On Fri, May 8, 2020, 1:27 AM Jeff <beastmaster...@hotmail.com> wrote: > On 5/7/2020 8:28 PM, GWB wrote: > > The idea about the images is a very good one. Invoices, receipts, > > etc., would do fine in digital format. > > > > No question that databases are capable of much greater depth, > > granularity and ability to search and change. However, in defense of > > the humble xml text file, I give you this: > > > > cat GnuCash-xml-file.gnucash | grep -B 1 -A 1 date-posted | less > > > > Which shows every date-posted field and date, and one line before and > > one line after. > > > > And: > > > > cat GnuCash-xml-file.gnucash | grep -B 6 -A 3 2019-10-13 | less > > > > Which finds all transactions with date 2019-10-13, the guid, > > Description, Currency, etc. (B 6 = 6 lines before, A 3 = 3 lines > > after). > > > > Not to mention awk and sed, which can do much more complicated things > > with the search and replace terms. But don't try this without a > > current backup. awk and sed can very easily ruin a file if just one > > argument for regrep replace is off by the slightest term. > > > > But if you can get a command line with bash, or something close, and > > you saved a copy as xml, you probably can't do that kind of damage > > with grep (but of course, someone will prove this wrong). If you want > > to save your search results: > > > > cat GnuCash-xml-file.gnucash | grep -B 6 -A 3 2019-10-13 > > > all-transactions-2019-10-13.txt > > > > Will give you a file with all the transactions from that date with > > surrounding fields. You might need to use ">>" instead of ">" with > > some shells. > > > > Then you can see them by: > > > > less all-transactions-2019-10-13.txt > > > > Which then lets you scroll up, down, search within results, etc. > > > > Grep, less and a few shell commands are much easier to learn than sql > > query language in my opinion. But no question a database has lots of > > advantages over a text file. > > > > Gordon > > > > On Thu, May 7, 2020 at 7:32 PM Jeff <beastmaster...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> On 5/7/2020 11:18 AM, Gregory Gincley wrote: > >>> Sounds like you have a couple of issues happening there. > >>> > >>> I have no experience with Windows, but I've used the postgres backend > >>> in linux for many years without issue. > >>> > >>> I also periodically save to the XML format as a backup. > >>> > >>> -Greg > >>> > >>> On Thu, 2020-05-07 at 00:07 -0500, Jeff wrote: > >>>> This has probably been discussed here before but; I'm going ask > >>>> anyway. > >>>> Which do most people find more reliable with GNC, SQL or the default > >>>> XML? And are there any features I would lose other than the > >>>> rollback > >>>> ability with SQL? > >>>> > >>>> I'm getting tired of having to track down account and report issues > >>>> every time Windoze 10 hiccups. I use the default XML, > >>>> uncompressed. > >>>> One set of books has been corrupted several times, I'm assuming when > >>>> Windoze just simply kills the GNC program out of the blue. I have > >>>> another set of books for a business that so far, knock on wood, the > >>>> only problem is sometimes various buttons have to be selected > >>>> multiple > >>>> times to work then all of the windows open in GNC blur while > >>>> processing > >>>> then go back to normal display. > >>>> > >>>> My computers are all networked and dual boot Windoze and Ubuntu, so > >>>> I > >>>> would need SQL on both sides if I switch over. I'm leaning towards > >>>> PostgreSQL (pro's, con's? Suggestions?). > >>>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> gnucash-user mailing list > >>> gnucash-user@gnucash.org > >>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > >>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > >>> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. > >>> ----- > >>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > >>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > >>> . > >> I like Greg's idea of periodically saving back to xml. Had not thought > >> of that. I do prefer the uncompressed XML format because it is > >> basically just one big text file, that makes it easier for me to do > >> global search and replace if I have to. And I'm going to have to, I > >> wasn't thinking and moved some images that I had linked to > >> transactions. I've been toying with the idea of writing a companion > >> product for the sole purpose of storing the images, then I don't have to > >> worry about file names or locations, just switching windows. > >> > >> I want to say the data issue popped up in GNC 2.6(?) and happened again > >> last week in version 3.8. With every new release of GNC I do a complete > >> uninstall of the old version before I upgrade to the next version of > >> GNC. Windoze 10 is current on both machines. And to my knowledge GNC is > >> the only program I've had this problem with. It could possibly be a > >> windoze/virus software issue but I would expect it on both machines. > >> > >> I think I will give SQL a try and see how I like it. I've always been > >> more comfortable using databases than text files for indexed data > >> storage anyway. > >> > >> -- > >> --JEffrey Black M.B.A. > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> gnucash-user mailing list > >> gnucash-user@gnucash.org > >> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > >> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > >> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. > >> ----- > >> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > >> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > > . > > It's been awhile since I have used awk and sed. Somewhere along the way > I uninstalled the windoze equivalents and have forgotten a lot of the > features available. One tends to get lazy in windoze. Not case > sensitive, mediocre editors (notepad++ excluded), etc. The main plus is > the abundance of jpeg utilities. > > Just spent a couple hours I couldn't afford to waste trying to install > PostgreSQL and mysql. Neither of which will accept a file from GNC. > After I finish the last of these damned tax returns I can play with them > again. At one time I had mysql installed and it worked, I uninstalled > it because I wasn't using it at the time and needed the disk space. > Now, nothing but error messages. I have to have bits twiddled somewhere > in my windoze installs that shouldn't be. Figures, Windoze is the only > legal computer virus in the world. > > -- > --JEffrey Black M.B.A. > > _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.