hledger-1.30: embeddedfiles/hledger-web.info
This is hledger-web.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.0.3 from stdin.
INFO-DIR-SECTION User Applications
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* hledger-web: (hledger-web). Web UI/API for the hledger accounting tool.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
File: hledger-web.info, Node: Top, Next: OPTIONS, Up: (dir)
hledger-web(1)
**************
hledger-web - robust, friendly plain text accounting (Web version)
'hledger-web [--serve|--serve-api] [OPTS] [ARGS]'
'hledger web -- [--serve|--serve-api] [OPTS] [ARGS]'
This manual is for hledger's web interface, version 1.30. See also
the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats.
hledger is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs
for tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double-entry
accounting and a simple, editable file format. hledger is inspired by
and largely compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with
beancount(1).
hledger-web is a simple web application for browsing and adding
transactions. It provides a more user-friendly UI than the hledger CLI
or hledger-ui TUI, showing more at once (accounts, the current account
register, balance charts) and allowing history-aware data entry,
interactive searching, and bookmarking.
hledger-web also lets you share a journal with multiple users, or
even the public web. There is no access control, so if you need that
you should put it behind a suitable web proxy. As a small protection
against data loss when running an unprotected instance, it writes a
numbered backup of the main journal file (only) on every edit.
Like hledger, it reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified
by the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment variable (defaulting to
'$HOME/.hledger.journal'); or you can specify files with '-f' options.
It can also read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file
with a date field. (See hledger(1) -> Input for details.)
hledger-web can be run in three modes:
* Transient mode (the default): your default web browser will be
opened to show the app if possible, and the app exits automatically
after two minutes of inactivity (no requests received and no open
browser windows viewing it).
* With '--serve': the app runs without stopping, and without opening
a browser.
* With '--serve-api': only the JSON API is served.
In all cases hledger-web runs as a foreground process, logging
requests to stdout.
* Menu:
* OPTIONS::
* PERMISSIONS::
* EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING::
* RELOADING::
* JSON API::
* DEBUG OUTPUT::
* ENVIRONMENT::
* BUGS::
File: hledger-web.info, Node: OPTIONS, Next: PERMISSIONS, Prev: Top, Up: Top
1 OPTIONS
*********
Command-line options and arguments may be used to set an initial filter
on the data. These filter options are not shown in the web UI, but it
will be applied in addition to any search query entered there.
hledger-web provides the following options:
'--serve'
serve and log requests, don't browse or auto-exit after timeout
'--serve-api'
like -serve, but serve only the JSON web API, without the
server-side web UI
'--host=IPADDR'
listen on this IP address (default: 127.0.0.1)
'--port=PORT'
listen on this TCP port (default: 5000)
'--socket=SOCKETFILE'
use a unix domain socket file to listen for requests instead of a
TCP socket. Implies '--serve'. It can only be used if the
operating system can provide this type of socket.
'--base-url=URL'
set the base url (default: http://IPADDR:PORT). Note: affects url
generation but not route parsing. Can be useful if running behind
a reverse web proxy that does path rewriting.
'--file-url=URL'
set the static files url (default: BASEURL/static). hledger-web
normally serves static files itself, but if you wanted to serve
them from another server for efficiency, you would set the url with
this.
'--capabilities=CAP[,CAP..]'
enable the view, add, and/or manage capabilities (default:
view,add)
'--capabilities-header=HTTPHEADER'
read capabilities to enable from a HTTP header, like
X-Sandstorm-Permissions (default: disabled)
'--test'
run hledger-web's tests and exit. hspec test runner args may
follow a -, eg: hledger-web -test - -help
By default the server listens on IP address 127.0.0.1, accessible
only to local requests. You can use '--host' to change this, eg '--host
0.0.0.0' to listen on all configured addresses.
Similarly, use '--port' to set a TCP port other than 5000, eg if you
are running multiple hledger-web instances.
Both of these options are ignored when '--socket' is used. In this
case, it creates an 'AF_UNIX' socket file at the supplied path and uses
that for communication. This is an alternative way of running multiple
hledger-web instances behind a reverse proxy that handles authentication
for different users. The path can be derived in a predictable way, eg
by using the username within the path. As an example, 'nginx' as
reverse proxy can use the variable '$remote_user' to derive a path from
the username used in a HTTP basic authentication. The following
'proxy_pass' directive allows access to all 'hledger-web' instances that
created a socket in '/tmp/hledger/':
proxy_pass http://unix:/tmp/hledger/${remote_user}.socket;
You can use '--base-url' to change the protocol, hostname, port and
path that appear in hyperlinks, useful eg for integrating hledger-web
within a larger website. The default is 'http://HOST:PORT/' using the
server's configured host address and TCP port (or 'http://HOST' if PORT
is 80).
With '--file-url' you can set a different base url for static files,
eg for better caching or cookie-less serving on high performance
websites.
hledger-web also supports many of hledger's general options (and the
hledger manual's command line tips also apply here):
* Menu:
* General help options::
* General input options::
* General reporting options::
File: hledger-web.info, Node: General help options, Next: General input options, Up: OPTIONS
1.1 General help options
========================
'-h --help'
show general or COMMAND help
'--man'
show general or COMMAND user manual with man
'--info'
show general or COMMAND user manual with info
'--version'
show general or ADDONCMD version
'--debug[=N]'
show debug output (levels 1-9, default: 1)
File: hledger-web.info, Node: General input options, Next: General reporting options, Prev: General help options, Up: OPTIONS
1.2 General input options
=========================
'-f FILE --file=FILE'
use a different input file. For stdin, use - (default:
'$LEDGER_FILE' or '$HOME/.hledger.journal')
'--rules-file=RULESFILE'
Conversion rules file to use when reading CSV (default: FILE.rules)
'--separator=CHAR'
Field separator to expect when reading CSV (default: ',')
'--alias=OLD=NEW'
rename accounts named OLD to NEW
'--anon'
anonymize accounts and payees
'--pivot FIELDNAME'
use some other field or tag for the account name
'-I --ignore-assertions'
disable balance assertion checks (note: does not disable balance
assignments)
'-s --strict'
do extra error checking (check that all posted accounts are
declared)
File: hledger-web.info, Node: General reporting options, Prev: General input options, Up: OPTIONS
1.3 General reporting options
=============================
'-b --begin=DATE'
include postings/txns on or after this date (will be adjusted to
preceding subperiod start when using a report interval)
'-e --end=DATE'
include postings/txns before this date (will be adjusted to
following subperiod end when using a report interval)
'-D --daily'
multiperiod/multicolumn report by day
'-W --weekly'
multiperiod/multicolumn report by week
'-M --monthly'
multiperiod/multicolumn report by month
'-Q --quarterly'
multiperiod/multicolumn report by quarter
'-Y --yearly'
multiperiod/multicolumn report by year
'-p --period=PERIODEXP'
set start date, end date, and/or reporting interval all at once
using period expressions syntax
'--date2'
match the secondary date instead (see command help for other
effects)
'--today=DATE'
override today's date (affects relative smart dates, for
tests/examples)
'-U --unmarked'
include only unmarked postings/txns (can combine with -P or -C)
'-P --pending'
include only pending postings/txns
'-C --cleared'
include only cleared postings/txns
'-R --real'
include only non-virtual postings
'-NUM --depth=NUM'
hide/aggregate accounts or postings more than NUM levels deep
'-E --empty'
show items with zero amount, normally hidden (and vice-versa in
hledger-ui/hledger-web)
'-B --cost'
convert amounts to their cost/selling amount at transaction time
'-V --market'
convert amounts to their market value in default valuation
commodities
'-X --exchange=COMM'
convert amounts to their market value in commodity COMM
'--value'
convert amounts to cost or market value, more flexibly than
-B/-V/-X
'--infer-equity'
infer conversion equity postings from costs
'--infer-costs'
infer costs from conversion equity postings
'--infer-market-prices'
use costs as additional market prices, as if they were P directives
'--forecast'
generate transactions from periodic rules, between the latest
recorded txn and 6 months from today, or during the specified
PERIOD (= is required). Auto posting rules will be applied to
these transactions as well. Also, in hledger-ui make future-dated
transactions visible.
'--auto'
generate extra postings by applying auto posting rules to all txns
(not just forecast txns)
'--verbose-tags'
add visible tags indicating transactions or postings which have
been generated/modified
'--commodity-style'
Override the commodity style in the output for the specified
commodity. For example 'EUR1.000,00'.
'--color=WHEN (or --colour=WHEN)'
Should color-supporting commands use ANSI color codes in text
output. 'auto' (default): whenever stdout seems to be a
color-supporting terminal. 'always' or 'yes': always, useful eg
when piping output into 'less -R'. 'never' or 'no': never. A
NO_COLOR environment variable overrides this.
'--pretty[=WHEN]'
Show prettier output, e.g. using unicode box-drawing characters.
Accepts 'yes' (the default) or 'no' ('y', 'n', 'always', 'never'
also work). If you provide an argument you must use '=', e.g.
'-pretty=yes'.
When a reporting option appears more than once in the command line,
the last one takes precedence.
Some reporting options can also be written as query arguments.
File: hledger-web.info, Node: PERMISSIONS, Next: EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING, Prev: OPTIONS, Up: Top
2 PERMISSIONS
*************
By default, hledger-web allows anyone who can reach it to view the
journal and to add new transactions, but not to change existing data.
You can restrict who can reach it by
* setting the IP address it listens on (see '--host' above). By
default it listens on 127.0.0.1, accessible to all users on the
local machine.
* putting it behind an authenticating proxy, using eg apache or nginx
* custom firewall rules
You can restrict what the users who reach it can do, by
* using the '--capabilities=CAP[,CAP..]' flag when you start it,
enabling one or more of the following capabilities. The default
value is 'view,add':
* 'view' - allows viewing the journal file and all included
files
* 'add' - allows adding new transactions to the main journal
file
* 'manage' - allows editing, uploading or downloading the main
or included files
* using the '--capabilities-header=HTTPHEADER' flag to specify a HTTP
header from which it will read capabilities to enable. hledger-web
on Sandstorm uses the X-Sandstorm-Permissions header to integrate
with Sandstorm's permissions. This is disabled by default.
File: hledger-web.info, Node: EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING, Next: RELOADING, Prev: PERMISSIONS, Up: Top
3 EDITING, UPLOADING, DOWNLOADING
*********************************
If you enable the 'manage' capability mentioned above, you'll see a new
"spanner" button to the right of the search form. Clicking this will
let you edit, upload, or download the journal file or any files it
includes.
Note, unlike any other hledger command, in this mode you (or any
visitor) can alter or wipe the data files.
Normally whenever a file is changed in this way, hledger-web saves a
numbered backup (assuming file permissions allow it, the disk is not
full, etc.) hledger-web is not aware of version control systems,
currently; if you use one, you'll have to arrange to commit the changes
yourself (eg with a cron job or a file watcher like entr).
Changes which would leave the journal file(s) unparseable or
non-valid (eg with failing balance assertions) are prevented.
(Probably. This needs re-testing.)
File: hledger-web.info, Node: RELOADING, Next: JSON API, Prev: EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING, Up: Top
4 RELOADING
***********
hledger-web detects changes made to the files by other means (eg if you
edit it directly, outside of hledger-web), and it will show the new data
when you reload the page or navigate to a new page. If a change makes a
file unparseable, hledger-web will display an error message until the
file has been fixed.
(Note: if you are viewing files mounted from another machine, make
sure that both machine clocks are roughly in step.)
File: hledger-web.info, Node: JSON API, Next: DEBUG OUTPUT, Prev: RELOADING, Up: Top
5 JSON API
**********
In addition to the web UI, hledger-web also serves a JSON API that can
be used to get data or add new transactions. If you want the JSON API
only, you can use the '--serve-api' flag. Eg:
$ hledger-web -f examples/sample.journal --serve-api
...
You can get JSON data from these routes:
/version
/accountnames
/transactions
/prices
/commodities
/accounts
/accounttransactions/ACCOUNTNAME
Eg, all account names in the journal (similar to the accounts
command). (hledger-web's JSON does not include newlines, here we use
python to prettify it):
$ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:5000/accountnames | python -m json.tool
[
"assets",
"assets:bank",
"assets:bank:checking",
"assets:bank:saving",
"assets:cash",
"expenses",
"expenses:food",
"expenses:supplies",
"income",
"income:gifts",
"income:salary",
"liabilities",
"liabilities:debts"
]
Or all transactions:
$ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:5000/transactions | python -m json.tool
[
{
"tcode": "",
"tcomment": "",
"tdate": "2008-01-01",
"tdate2": null,
"tdescription": "income",
"tindex": 1,
"tpostings": [
{
"paccount": "assets:bank:checking",
"pamount": [
{
"acommodity": "$",
"aismultiplier": false,
"aprice": null,
...
Most of the JSON corresponds to hledger's data types; for details of
what the fields mean, see the Hledger.Data.Json haddock docs and click
on the various data types, eg Transaction. And for a higher level
understanding, see the journal docs.
In some cases there is outer JSON corresponding to a "Report" type.
To understand that, go to the Hledger.Web.Handler.MiscR haddock and look
at the source for the appropriate handler to see what it returns. Eg
for '/accounttransactions' it's getAccounttransactionsR, returning a
"'accountTransactionsReport ...'". Looking up the haddock for that we
can see that /accounttransactions returns an AccountTransactionsReport,
which consists of a report title and a list of
AccountTransactionsReportItem (etc).
You can add a new transaction to the journal with a PUT request to
'/add', if hledger-web was started with the 'add' capability (enabled by
default). The payload must be the full, exact JSON representation of a
hledger transaction (partial data won't do). You can get sample JSON
from hledger-web's '/transactions' or '/accounttransactions', or you can
export it with hledger-lib, eg like so:
.../hledger$ stack ghci hledger-lib
>>> writeJsonFile "txn.json" (head $ jtxns samplejournal)
>>> :q
Here's how it looks as of hledger-1.17 (remember, this JSON
corresponds to hledger's Transaction and related data types):
{
"tcomment": "",
"tpostings": [
{
"pbalanceassertion": null,
"pstatus": "Unmarked",
"pamount": [
{
"aprice": null,
"acommodity": "$",
"aquantity": {
"floatingPoint": 1,
"decimalPlaces": 10,
"decimalMantissa": 10000000000
},
"aismultiplier": false,
"astyle": {
"ascommodityside": "L",
"asdigitgroups": null,
"ascommodityspaced": false,
"asprecision": 2,
"asdecimalpoint": "."
}
}
],
"ptransaction_": "1",
"paccount": "assets:bank:checking",
"pdate": null,
"ptype": "RegularPosting",
"pcomment": "",
"pdate2": null,
"ptags": [],
"poriginal": null
},
{
"pbalanceassertion": null,
"pstatus": "Unmarked",
"pamount": [
{
"aprice": null,
"acommodity": "$",
"aquantity": {
"floatingPoint": -1,
"decimalPlaces": 10,
"decimalMantissa": -10000000000
},
"aismultiplier": false,
"astyle": {
"ascommodityside": "L",
"asdigitgroups": null,
"ascommodityspaced": false,
"asprecision": 2,
"asdecimalpoint": "."
}
}
],
"ptransaction_": "1",
"paccount": "income:salary",
"pdate": null,
"ptype": "RegularPosting",
"pcomment": "",
"pdate2": null,
"ptags": [],
"poriginal": null
}
],
"ttags": [],
"tsourcepos": {
"tag": "JournalSourcePos",
"contents": [
"",
[
1,
1
]
]
},
"tdate": "2008-01-01",
"tcode": "",
"tindex": 1,
"tprecedingcomment": "",
"tdate2": null,
"tdescription": "income",
"tstatus": "Unmarked"
}
And here's how to test adding it with curl. This should add a new
entry to your journal:
$ curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/add -X PUT -H 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-binary @txn.json
File: hledger-web.info, Node: DEBUG OUTPUT, Next: ENVIRONMENT, Prev: JSON API, Up: Top
6 DEBUG OUTPUT
**************
* Menu:
* Debug output::
File: hledger-web.info, Node: Debug output, Up: DEBUG OUTPUT
6.1 Debug output
================
You can add '--debug[=N]' to the command line to log debug output. N
ranges from 1 (least output, the default) to 9 (maximum output).
Typically you would start with 1 and increase until you are seeing
enough. Debug output goes to stderr, interleaved with the requests
logged on stdout. To capture debug output in a log file instead, you
can usually redirect stderr, eg:
'hledger-web --debug=3 2>hledger-web.log'.
File: hledger-web.info, Node: ENVIRONMENT, Next: BUGS, Prev: DEBUG OUTPUT, Up: Top
7 ENVIRONMENT
*************
*LEDGER_FILE* The main journal file to use when not specified with
'-f/--file'. Default: '$HOME/.hledger.journal'.
File: hledger-web.info, Node: BUGS, Prev: ENVIRONMENT, Up: Top
8 BUGS
******
We welcome bug reports in the hledger issue tracker (shortcut:
http://bugs.hledger.org), or on the #hledger chat or hledger mail list
(https://hledger.org/support).
Some known issues:
Does not work well on small screens, or in text-mode browsers.
Tag Table:
Node: Top225
Node: OPTIONS2577
Ref: #options2682
Node: General help options5993
Ref: #general-help-options6143
Node: General input options6425
Ref: #general-input-options6611
Node: General reporting options7313
Ref: #general-reporting-options7478
Node: PERMISSIONS10868
Ref: #permissions11007
Node: EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING12219
Ref: #editing-uploading-downloading12400
Node: RELOADING13234
Ref: #reloading13368
Node: JSON API13801
Ref: #json-api13916
Node: DEBUG OUTPUT19404
Ref: #debug-output19529
Node: Debug output19556
Ref: #debug-output-119657
Node: ENVIRONMENT20074
Ref: #environment20193
Node: BUGS20310
Ref: #bugs20394
End Tag Table
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