Links

- [Project homepage](http://openpetra.org)
- [Source code](https://code.launchpad.net/~openpetracore/openpetraorg/trunkhosted)
- [ohloh](http://www.ohloh.net/p/openpetraorg)

## Technical

- C# [.NET, Mono]
- SQL [SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL]

## Preliminary evaluation

- [Started in 2009](http://www.ohloh.net/p/openpetraorg)

### Positive

- i18n, l10n
- Supports server-client deployments as well as standalone deployment.
- [Actively developed](http://www.ohloh.net/p/openpetraorg)
- [35 contributors](http://www.ohloh.net/p/openpetraorg)
- [Well-commented source code](http://www.ohloh.net/p/openpetraorg)
- [Extensibility is core](http://www.openpetra.org/organisation-benefits)
- Ledger-specific access control, three access levels.
- using fixed point arithmetic: System.Decimal data type for all money related variables (changed from Double to Decimal in end of 2010: [commit](https://github.com/openpetra/openpetra/commit/a1717237825a6c8f0d5e032c843241ed918e2344))

### Negative

- In BETA state, presently used by at least two organizations, one for accounting, one for contact management.
- [Decreasing Y-O-Y commits](http://www.ohloh.net/p/openpetraorg) <pre>2013-11-13 16:10:00     christiank      joar: I have checked for the source of increased commits in January 2011: It is a mixture of a huge bug-fixing spree and the result of a merge-into-trunk of a Sideline Branch, which then still needed more development</pre>

## Comments

    │15:48:14      christiank [\n]
    | In case you or bkuhn want to read up for yourself what OpenPetra will be  │
    | covering in its Finance Module when it is completed then you can have a   │
    | look at the Petra Finance User Guide                                      │
    | (http://www.openpetra.org/en/user-manuals). OpenPetra is based on Petra   │
    | in terms of functionality.      

<a id="evaluation"></a>
## Evaluation

<div class="alert alert-info"><p>Due to the instability of the OpenPetra linux client we cannot continue the evaluations. The linux client has not been a focus of the OpenPetra developers, and as of 2013-11-25 with the provided setup found in <http://www.pokorra.de/2013/11/install-openpetra-on-linux/> it crashes intermittently for various reasons.
The preliminary evaluation should therefore be regarded as the most current information.</p><p>I will also include the following statement as requested by the OpenPetra developers.</p><p>Response from the OpenPetra team:</p><blockquote>The Linux client is currently not our focus. We know it isn't working well at present but we believe most problems could be overcome if somebody puts time and effort into it.”</blockquote></div>
<!--
### Evaluation of [[Reporting|UseCases/GeneratingReports]] UseCases
- [[Trial Balance Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#trial-balance]]: Yes
- [[Bank Reconciliation Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#bank-reconcilation]]: Not sure. It provides an option to "Import GL[General Ledger] Transactions From Bank" which imports a CSV, other format file.
- [[Chart of Accounts|UseCases/GeneratingReports#chart-of-accounts]]: Has an editable, hiearchical chart of accounts. You can also export/import account hierarchies.
- [[Cash Disbursements Journal|UseCases/GeneratingReports#cash-disbursements]]: Not that I can find.
- [[Income Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#income-report]]: Yes, combined with the expense report
- [[Expense Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#expense-report]]: Yes, combined with the income report.

### Evaluation of [[Reporting|UseCases/GeneratingReports]] UseCases for Fund Accounting

Can each of these reports be generated, confined to a specific temporarily
restricted asset type?
   
- [[Trial Balance Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#trial-balance]]: FIXME
- [[Bank Reconciliation Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#bank-reconcilation]]: FIXME
- [[Chart of Accounts|UseCases/GeneratingReports#chart-of-accounts]]: FIXME
- [[Cash Disbursements Journal|UseCases/GeneratingReports#cash-disbursements]]: FIXME
- [[Income Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#income-report]]: FIXME
- [[Expense Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#expense-report]]: FIXME

### Evaluation of [[Fund Accounting|UseCases/FundAccounting]] UseCases

- [[Fund-only View|UseCases/FundAccounting#fund-view]]
- [[Funds as part of whole org View|UseCases/FundAccounting#fundless-view]]
- [[Ignore Funds for operations|UseCases/FundAccounting#fundless-view]]

### [[UseCases/Collaborating]] evaluation
- [[Simultaneous Editing of Ledger|UseCases/Collaborating#simultaneous-ledger-edits]]: Yes

### Evaluation of [[Double-entry Accounting|UseCases/DoubleEntryAccounting]] UseCases

- Does the system implement pure double-entry accounting?

### Evaluation of [[TrackingDocumentation|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation]] UseCases

- Does the system [[link up to external documentation|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation#document-link-up]]?

- Does it have a [[the ability to explore transactions via documentation linkage|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation#document-link-explore]]?

### Evaluation of [[Handling multiple currencies|UseCases/MultiCurrency]] UseCases

- Does it support the concept of
  [[a single functional currency|UseCases/MultiCurrency]], while still
  permitting multi-currency entries?

### Evaluation of [[draft transaction|UseCases/DraftTransactions]] UseCases

- Does the system allow
  [[generally for draft transactions|UseCases/DraftTransactions#draft-general]]
  that can be later approved before officially being posted to the books? 

### Evaluation of WorkFlow UseCases
- Is a [[specific workflow dictated by the system|UseCases/WorkFlow#workflow-dictated]] ?
- Is a [[the workflow configurable|UseCases/WorkFlow#workflow-configurable]] ?
- [[Unaccrued Invoice|UseCases/WorkFlow#unaccrued-invioice]] ?

### Evaluation of the [[Reading and Reporting API|UseCases/ReadingAPI]]

FIXME: This is assessment of what the API for manipulating the accounting
data does, so I think it's tough to do it as a list of questions.

### Evaluation of the [[Storage API|UseCases/StorageAPI]]

FIXME: This is assessment of what the API for storing the accounting data
does, so I think it's tough to do it as a list of questions.

### Evaluation of the [[Community Health|UseCases/CommunityHealth]]
- Is the [[license both determined as Free Software by FSF and OSI-approved|USeCases/CommunityHealth#license-approved]]?
- Is the [[license GPL-compatible||UseCases/CommunityHealth#gpl-compatible]]?
- Does the project
  [[require assignment of copyright or a CLA to get code upstreamed|UseCases/CommunityHealth#no-cla-for-profit]]?
- How many
  [[active developers/companies contribute to the project||USeCases/CommunityHealth#dev-count]]?
     * If there aren't many, how hard would it be to take over the project if needed?
- Is there good [[developer documentation|UseCases/CommunityHealth#dev-docs]]?
- How easy it to [[engage as a developer with the community|UseCases/CommunityHealth#dev-welcoming]]?
-->

## Pre-evaluation template evaluations


### [[UseCases/FundAccounting]] evaluation

- Supports multiple ledgers

<pre>
2013-11-13 16:09:36     robp    quick reply re: fund accounting (and, to clarify, I'm not a "finance expert" but do have a good understanding of what the finance module in Petra - the percursor to OpenPetra - does)...as Tim points out we need to know from our finance users where Petra falls short of the requirements for fund accounting. Based on my rudimentary understanding of the term, I would think that much of what is needed for fund accounting can be achived with out Cost Centre structu
2013-11-13 16:09:36     robp    re (eg. production of BS and I&E reports on a specific part of the CC structure)
</pre>

### [[UseCases/Collaborating]] evaluation

- Possible to have a central application server with multiple ledgers, access control per ledger
- Multiple users can work on the same or separate ledgers at the same time

### [[UseCases/GeneratingReports]] evaluation

<pre>
2013-11-13 16:25:25     joar    and then about generating reports: http://npoacct.sfconservancy.org/UseCases/GeneratingReports/, ping robp
2013-11-13 16:26:36     TimIngham       Open Petra generates a lot of different types of reports
2013-11-13 16:27:17     TimIngham       At first it may be difficult to see which are the "standard" accounting ones, but I expect they're there.
2013-11-13 16:27:31     TimIngham       And if they're not, it's certainly our intention to add them.
2013-11-13 16:28:22     christiank      The Finance Module of (Open)Petra is very much written so that it is 'auditor-friendly' AND easy to use.
2013-11-13 16:28:48     christiank      - even for not-trained book-keepers.
2013-11-13 16:29:23     christiank      I mean users who aren't trained accountants, but learn accounting in the organisation on-the-job.
2013-11-13 16:31:57     christiank      joar: Not sure if numbers are important, but a quick check revealed that there are at least 32 Reports in the Finance Module of OpenPetra.
2013-11-13 16:34:30     christiank      joar: It has to be mentioned that OpenPetra is developed as a 'global solution' and hence some terms perhaps esp. in the Finance Module might deviate from US-specific terms.
2013-11-13 16:36:25     christiank      A bookkeeper (read: bkuhn in your case) would need to have a close look at what functionatlity in the Finance Module of OpenPetra does what to find those potential differences.

</pre>