Financial logic rewrite, initial thoughts about opportunities for contributions

[Chris Travers <..hidden..>]

Hi all;

I have already started on the initial rewrite of the core financial
logic for 1.4 in part with some database design and the beginnings of
stored procedures and stored procedures which will require extensions
to our database interface.  I expect to get journal entries working
within the next week or so, along with some basic test cases.  GL
reports should follow soon after.  As always, there is room for
contributions from our community.  And though I am always in favor of
the idea that whoever proposes volunteers (and hence I feel I have
volunteered for as much of the work as necessary), help is
appreciated.

I don't want this thinking to restrict contributions to anything in
this area.  If you want to contribute in these areas or a subset,
please do so.  If you want to go ahead.and contribute something else,
that's of course appreciated too.  Of course these are opportunities
to get involved, get your name on the contributors list, etc.

At the moment if someone wants to start right away, there are a few
important areas where work could begin.  These are:

1)  An add-on for views resembling the old database structure.  These
can't be 100% compatible because of expressive differences, but could
still be of use in easing migration headaches to 1.4

2)  If anyone wants to start on the order entry side, this could be
done without trampling on anything I am doing.  (This could be
deferred until 1.5 if necessary.)

Once I get the AR, AP, and GL stuff working there will be
opportunities for further contributions.  These include:
1)  The payment logic (both sets of new code) need to be simplified
and rewritten without loss of functionality.  Note that in this case,
the database structure will allow third party payments and a few other
features but these don't need to be in the core module (they could be
supplied later as add-ons).

2)  Virtually all reports in the system will need to be altered.  This
would be a good time to re-implement them on the new codebase.   If
anyone who wants one takes on a report, this could go pretty quickly.

Again, this is a call for contributions but shouldn't be seen as
limiting the areas we'd like to see contributions in.  If you have an
idea and wish to implement it, by all means bring it up on this list.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers