Xref backend for beancount-mode

[vkazanov]

Hello again,

I've added another quality-of-life improvement I felt was both useful and easy enough to implement: an Xref backend. This adds support for:

1. Jumping up account definitions (aka open directive) under point using the default =M-.= binding
2. finding account under point references using =M-?=.
3. grepping through known symbol references and definitions using apropos like search with =C-M-.=.

While it is not hard to use basic tools such as grep with Beancount files, I felt that working from standard tooling aligns well with other modes supporting Xref and would be helpful to people used to default keybindings.

I checked it in Emacs 26, 27, 28, 29. It was not without some complications (a backported function) but should work everywhere out of the box.

Let me know if something needs tweaking.

Thanks!

[dnicolodi]

I felt that working from standard tooling aligns well with other modes supporting Xref and would be helpful to people used to default keybindings.

Thanks @vkazanov, this is exactly the kind of addition to beancount-mode that I would like to have!

[vkazanov]

@dnicolodi, BTW, I have this other idea I want to experiment with: specialize outline-minor-mode's approach a bit to beancount-mode's needs.

The plan:

1. come up with a function that makes it possible to hide or show subsets of the file based on transaction-related info. Think outline-minor-mode but smarter than just section delimiters. The buffer is editable, with non-relevant things hidden. I do have a prototype already but it's not ready for prime time yet.
2. a function to only show transactions with a certain tag/link (tags/links would become clickable then).
3. a function to only show transactions within a certain date interval.
4. a function to only transactions related to a certain account.

Given how large the files tend to become this should help quite a bit

Would you be open to such an improvement?

Obviously, I'd finish the xref backend first.

[vkazanov]

@dnicolodi sorry for nudging (gently). Any updates necessary? Thank you

[dnicolodi]

This is problematic as it requires the open directive to have a space after the account name, but one is not required:

2024-06-03 open Assets:Foo

is a valid open directive.

[vkazanov]

Ooops. Should be good now.