Thread: SQL-Ledger Installation

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Thanks
I've installed SQL-Ledger succesfully. Created Polish locale without=20=

problem,
so I could start work on Polish translation and do some tests
Peter Dabrowski

Hi !

I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
able to change a transaction, once it has been entered. 
This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.

I wonder if this is a requirement on other countries.
Does anyone out there have information on this?

Kind regards
Keld Simonsen

Keld J=F8rn Simonsen wrote:
>=20
> Hi !
>=20
> I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
> able to change a transaction, once it has been entered.
> This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
> for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.
>=20
> I wonder if this is a requirement on other countries.
> Does anyone out there have information on this?
>=20
> Kind regards
> Keld Simonsen

Hi,

in practice thats impossible; any DBA can hack the database when there
are system errors. The "proper" way would of course be entering a
cancelling transaction, but sometimes that's not possible.=20
But I agree, normal users shouldn't be allowed to edit "posted"
transactions - if you intend to use the accounting information for
official purposes. That's certainly the case with portuguese law.

Cheers,
Paulo Rodrigues

On Sat, Nov 03, 2001 at 06:20:57PM +0100, Keld J?rn Simonsen wrote:
> Hi !
> 
> I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
> able to change a transaction, once it has been entered. 
> This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
> for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.
> 
> I wonder if this is a requirement on other countries.
> Does anyone out there have information on this?

I work in a medical field were we have the same issues with
electronic medical records. This is solved my making a nightly backup
onto non rewritable media, ie cd. This has the advantage of providing a
backup and a continus record at the same time.
Just my 2c
peter

On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Keld J=F8rn Simonsen wrote:

> Hi !
>
> I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
> able to change a transaction, once it has been entered.
> This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
> for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.
>
> I wonder if this is a requirement on other countries.
> Does anyone out there have information on this?
>
> Kind regards
> Keld Simonsen
>

	I too have talked to Dieter about something like this; ie to be
able to "close the books" at some point in time as after the fiscal year
end.
	My interest is actually to contribute to sql-ledger by adding
this function (along with some multi-currency function) but being new
to SL, this list and to SL's coding style I thought it better to start
with something easy like a phonebook (and now contact "manager").

	AW, my initial look at SL's structure suggests to me that closing
out a period could be done by providing an input for a "closed-as-at" dat=
e
that then is checked before any transactions are edited, deleted or added.
This closing date would require admin or superuser privileges.  If monthl=
y
closings are necessary then that would work also.  In my mind this would
preserve SL's fluid approach to accounting periods (which I like a lot)
while still giving some comfort to the auditors and protecting against
routine errors that could affect entries that are reconciled and
considered final.

	If some extraordinary situation arose where a closed period's
transactions do need to be changed, the admin / superuser could roll back
the closed-as-at date.  I doubt if there is any prohibition to reopening =
a
closed set of books in Canada's Income Tax Act, but I'm sure Revenue
Canada (now Canada Customs and Revenue ...) would take a very long look a=
t
a companies activities if this was done without a *very* good reason and
without refilling amended statements and tax returns.

--=20

Herb Richter,
Toronto, Ontario
http://www.partsandservice.com

On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Keld J=F8rn Simonsen wrote:

> Hi !
>
> I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
> able to change a transaction, once it has been entered.
> This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
> for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.

	Do you mean that once *any* transaction is entered it cannot be
changed?  even if it just needs to be corrected?

> I wonder if this is a requirement on other countries.
> Does anyone out there have information on this?
>
> Kind regards
> Keld Simonsen
>

--=20
Herb Richter,
Toronto, Ontario
http://www.partsandservice.com

On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 12:17:25AM -0500, Herb Richter wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Keld Jørn Simonsen wrote:
> 
> > Hi !
> >
> > I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
> > able to change a transaction, once it has been entered.
> > This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
> > for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.
> 
> 	Do you mean that once *any* transaction is entered it cannot be
> changed?  even if it just needs to be corrected?

I think there should be two options:
1. to "close" the books once in a while, that is, mark all
transactions up to a given time as unchangeable. Could be done as
a global variable per database, that is tested before any
change of a transaction.

2. To "close" every transaction every time a new one is entered.
This could also be a global variable per database.

I am not sure whether the granularity is good enough.
Should one be able to close only parts of a database?
Eg if there were department dependent bookkeeping, then
only for a certain department.

In all cases it should not require administrative privileges,
but should be available per database, and to the one that does the
bookkeeping. The privilege should probably be available to people that
are allowed to change the setup for a database, and available on the
preferences menu.

Kind regards
Keld

Hi all,

I mentioned to Keld already that SL has the options available to close th=
e
books. Here is how you do that.

CREATE RULE acc_trans_delete AS ON DELETE TO acc_trans WHERE old.transdat=
e
<=3D 'date' DO INSTEAD NOTHING;
CREATE RULE acc_trans_input AS ON INSERT TO acc_trans WHERE
new.transdate <=3D 'date' DO INSTEAD NOTHING;

This will close the books up to the date you specify!

Dieter Simader    http://www.sql-ledger.org   (780) 472-8161
DWS Systems Inc.     Accounting Software       Fax: 478-5281
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D On a clear disk you can seek forever =3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

On Sun, 4 Nov 2001, Keld J=F8rn Simonsen wrote:

> On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 12:17:25AM -0500, Herb Richter wrote:
> >=20
> > On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Keld J=F8rn Simonsen wrote:
> >=20
> > > Hi !
> > >
> > > I talked with Dieter about a need for not being
> > > able to change a transaction, once it has been entered.
> > > This is a requirement by Danish law, so it is important
> > > for Danes sql-ledger users to have that capability.
> >=20
> > 	Do you mean that once *any* transaction is entered it cannot be
> > changed?  even if it just needs to be corrected?
>=20
> I think there should be two options:
> 1. to "close" the books once in a while, that is, mark all
> transactions up to a given time as unchangeable. Could be done as
> a global variable per database, that is tested before any
> change of a transaction.
>=20
> 2. To "close" every transaction every time a new one is entered.
> This could also be a global variable per database.
>=20
> I am not sure whether the granularity is good enough.
> Should one be able to close only parts of a database?
> Eg if there were department dependent bookkeeping, then
> only for a certain department.
>=20
> In all cases it should not require administrative privileges,
> but should be available per database, and to the one that does the
> bookkeeping. The privilege should probably be available to people that
> are allowed to change the setup for a database, and available on the
> preferences menu.
>=20
> Kind regards
> Keld
>=20
>=20

On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 12:35:49PM -0700, Dieter Simader wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I mentioned to Keld already that SL has the options available to close the
> books. Here is how you do that.
> 
> CREATE RULE acc_trans_delete AS ON DELETE TO acc_trans WHERE old.transdate
> <= 'date' DO INSTEAD NOTHING;
> CREATE RULE acc_trans_input AS ON INSERT TO acc_trans WHERE
> new.transdate <= 'date' DO INSTEAD NOTHING;
> 
> This will close the books up to the date you specify!

Good! Could it be built into SL? Normally the
accountant would not have access to run psql raw, so it would
be nice if it could be done from one of the SL screens.

Kind regards
keld

Thread: SQL-Ledger Installation

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