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Version: 2.4.0
Last modified: 2011-01-01

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Author:
  Mike Evans <mikee@saxicola.co.uk>

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<chapter id="ch_python_bindings">
  <title>Python Bindings</title>
  <para>
    <application>&app;</application> historically has always been a
    traditional application in the sense that you open it, use it to
    manipulate your financial data via the windows it presents, save your
    data and close the windows again. This has the inherent limitation that
    you can only do whatever the windows, menus and toolbars allow you to do.
  </para>
  <para>
    Sometimes you might need a little more flexibility. For example, you
    need a report with just a little different information than what the
    built-in reports provide, or you want to automate a frequently recurring
    action. Such custom manipulations are ideal candidates to write in one
    or the other scripting language.
  </para>
  <para>
    Starting with <application>&app;</application> version 2.4 you can
    write <application>Python</application> scripts to manipulate your financial data.
  </para>
  <note>
    <para>The <application>Python</application> extensions are an optional feature in the source code.
      To be able to use <application>Python</application> scripts, <application>&app;</application> must
      have been compiled with this option enabled, otherwise all what follows
      won&rsquo;t work. At present this option is not enabled by default, so if you
      need this, you may have to compile <application>&app;</application> from
      source yourself.
    </para>
  </note>
  <para>The <application>Python</application> extensions come with a couple of ready to use scripts. This
    chapter will show you how to use some of these.
  </para>
  <note>
    <para>This chapter is not about how to write your own <application>Python</application> scripts.
      Refer to the developer documentation for that instead.
    </para>
  </note>
</chapter>
