Re: Accounting with Lua

[David Kastrup <dak@...>]

Asko Kauppi <askok@dnainternet.net> writes:

> Some weeks ago, I had a hard disk problem that basically wiped out my
> accounting software (last Windows application I was using). About
> time.
>
> I considered the options (€ 300 upgrade for the same software) and
> decided to just do it with Lua.
>
> This is only for my own usage (as Linux was for Linus...) but I'd like
> to hear if anyone else is using Lua for their SOHO business or
> personal finances.
>
> I'm using Lua as the data description language for transactions (no
> database), and some hundreds of lines of "main code" create reports
> for monthly and yearly taxation.  Printing bills using LuaCairo (into
> PDF) will be the next stage, and there I shall stop.

Well, there is the obvious advice: do the accounting in cents, not in
dollars.  Lua can represent multiples of 1 exactly, but not multiples of
0.01.  So if you are doing your calculations in dollars, at some point
of time the cents will not add up properly.

-- 
David Kastrup