On 2025-10-29 17:27, Daryl Manning wrote:
I'd be interested in hearing about the variability you think there is in
the file format (I use a stricter format for *myself*)
like, for example, not allowing prefixed currencies and such and
demanding ISO 3 letter curency codes etc, but would be interested
in hearing the types of things that we all feel _should_ be removed.
It's very complex. A few things that come to mind (still true as far as
I know):
- Multiple formats can be mixed in the journal file. Journal entries and
directives, but also timeclock entries, python code and value
expressions (as part of journal entries and directives I think) which
are a turing complete programming language themselves.
- There's great flexibility in the syntax, which is a double edged
sword. It feels pleasant for users in the beginning but complicates life
ever after for implementors (and in the end, for users as well).
Beancount's syntax is too restrictive for comfort in some ways, but eg
requiring strict ISO dates, and ISO currency codes on the right hand
side, are two small things that simplify a lot.
- The syntax for everything right of the account name in postings stands
out as particularly complex - amounts, costs, lot prices, lot dates, lot
labels, balance assertions, balance assignments, and comments can all be
combined there, in many different ways.
- Allowing spaces in account names brings in the two-space delimiter
requirement, which beginners always trip up on. Also it makes scripting
harder, later. Again it's a double-edged sword, costly though also
sometimes pleasant.
You might be interested to review hledger's journal format[1]. It copies
most though not all of Ledger's (not value expressions, eg). But you can
see I've documented some syntax as first class and pushed some other
parts into a legacy section[2]. Also I discuss syntax differences at [3].
[1] https://hledger.org/1.50/hledger.html#journal
[2] https://hledger.org/1.50/hledger.html#other-syntax
[3] https://hledger.org/ledger.html#journal-format-differences
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