I've updated https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports to GnuCash V5. I'd appreciate those interested in custom reports testing it and providing feedback because there are still parts left over from historical versions and other parts that do/don't work in Linux with no Windows equivalents.
Breaking changes in https://github.com/Gnucash/gnucash/releases/tag/5.0 Report and Book Options > > - This major change will affect everyone who has written custom > reports in Guile Scheme. > - The report and book options code has been completely rewritten in > C++ with SWIG providing Guile Scheme access for reports. The new design > requires directly registering options with for example > gnc-optiondb-register-string-option instead of calling > gnc:make-string-option to create an option followed by gnc:register-option > to insert it in the report's options. > - Value access is also changed: Instead of retrieving an option and > then querying or setting its value with gnc:option-value one will query the > optiondb with gnc-option-value, the arguments to which are the optiondb, > the section, and the option name. > - Supporting the new options backend the options dialog code in > gnc-dialog-options, gnc-business-options, and the new gnc-option-gtk-ui > have also been rewritten in C++. > > The wiki shows what works but there is no explanation of why it works (insight on the process). The community has a very limited knowledge base for writing GnuCash reports. John Ralls made these changes seemingly with support from two other developers. I've asked for a bit of insight but nothing has been given. As I understand it, reports, normally incorporating parts of library report modules, include options. The option value list was directly accessible in scheme report code but it has been moved to compiled C++ code where it is not accessible once GnuCash is installed. "Custom reports can be fairly challenging and while the information > presented [in the wiki] is brief it should be enough to get you started." Regardless, I highlight the following: 1. There are little glitches here and there like typos, bad paths, and broken links 2. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#Debugging_your_report needs work for Windows 3. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#Technique_to_reload_reports_without_restarting_GnuCash is totally broken 4. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#Designing_new_Reports - disheartening bug, the report name, a default option and key feature but not returned 5. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#The_Report-Renderer seems outdated, and needs replacing with style sheet content 6. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#The_GnuCash_API is a fairly useless table. Better to list the items in the table and demonstrate how to search the API to find and use them, using the report name from the prototype report. 7. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#Command_line_access_to_the_API - don't know if it works, seemingly not in Windows 8. https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Custom_Reports#Adding_Menu_Items - don't know if it works, seemingly not in Windows A new section is needed to address moving the option lists into C++ lists. It seems those options, say start/end-of-year, could be overwritten in scheme so they are customised before being used in reports, restoring previous functionality. Regards _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
