LedgerSMB-API

This module is meant to document access for those working to
integrate online commerce applications with the LedgerSMB
codebase, to the workings of the accounting application so
that simple and repetative transactions can be automated.

INSTALLATION

Access with your browser the administrative interface of your
LedgerSMB installation, to create and populate a new database,
perhaps lsmb_api_test, and create a new user, lsmb_api_test,
with privileges on that database.  The tests have been written
against the chart of accounts provided by the US_Service_Company
database template.

To install this module, run the following commands:

    perl Makefile.PL
    make
    make test

If you like the initial tests, you might then consider using
pgdump to backup a production accounting database, then as
your postgres user, use the psql command to restore that data
to your lsmb_api_test database, after you have DROP'd and
re-CREATE'd it.  Run further tests of your books, then . . . 

    make install  <-- if you dare . . . 

INITIAL ALPHA RELEASE NOTICE

LedgerSMB::API 

Developers are urged to TEST this module against a TEST database.
Testers are urged NOT TO DEPLOY this code against a production copy of
clients accounting databases, without further testing of all your
customary interactions, from posting orders, invoices, payments,
through reports, book closing and review of audit data.  There is much
left to test and we are developers, Not Accountants, and certainly not
developers who have any sort of firm grasp on LedgerSMB/ SQL-Ledger's
programming interface.  

We are only developers who simply seek to expose LedgerSMB's API in a
usable way, as we come to understand it.  

So, CAVEAT EMPTOR:

You are encouraged to access with your browser the administrative
interface of your LedgerSMB installation, to create and populate a new
database, perhaps lsmb_api_test, and create a new user, lsmb_api_test,
with privileges on that database.  The tests have been written against 
the chart of accounts provided by the US_Service_Company database
template.

If you like the initial tests, you might then consider using pgdump to
backup a production accounting database, then as your postgres user,
the psql command to restore that data to your lsmb_api_test database,
after you have DROP'd and re-CREATE'd it.  

Feedback, comments, use cases, bug reports, tests for bugs, patches,
new code, new or revised perldoc, inspiration and paying work from
developers or other users who find this module useful are welcomed and
encouraged.  This is a work in progress.  Help us do the work which
makes for the progress.

COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

Copyright (C) 2009 Nigel Titley and Hugh Esco

This program is released under the following license: gpl
