<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<chapter id="introduction">
<chapterinfo>
  <date>2017-07-25</date>
  <releaseinfo>4.8.1</releaseinfo>
</chapterinfo>

<title>Introduction</title>

<sect1 id="what-is-kmymoney">
<title>What is &kappname;?</title>

<para>
  Put simply, &kappname; is a personal finance manager by &kde;.  It enables
  users of open source operating systems and applications to keep careful track
  of their personal finances by providing a broad array of financial features
  and tools.
</para>

<para>
  The principal goals of the project are:
</para>

<itemizedlist>
  <listitem>
    <formalpara><title>Feature Parity</title>
      <para>
        &kappname; intends to provide all important features found in the
        commercially available personal finance managers.  Although every release
        of &kappname; gets closer and closer to that goal, there is still work to
	be done.
      </para>
    </formalpara>
  </listitem>

  <listitem>
    <formalpara><title>Ease of Use.</title>
      <para>
        &kappname; strives to be the easiest open source personal finance
        manager to use, especially for the non-technical user.
      </para>
    </formalpara>
  </listitem>

  <listitem>
    <formalpara><title>Correctness.</title>
      <para>
        Based on tried and tested double entry accounting principles &kappname;
        ensures that your finances are kept in correct order.
      </para>
    </formalpara>
  </listitem>
</itemizedlist>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="what-kmymoney-is-not">
<title>What &kappname; is not</title>

<para>
  As a personal finance manager, &kappname; is not intended to scale to the
  needs of an average business or organization.  A small business might find
  sufficient functionality to use &kappname;, but features such as
  accounts-receivable and accounts-payable are not directly supported.  However,
  it would be possible to create client, supplier, document, or other features
  through plugins.  There are also legal requirements on business bookkeeping in
  many countries, which &kappname; does not meet.
</para>

<para>
  &kappname; is not simply a clone of the commercially available personal
  finance programs. Although many of the features present in &kappname; can be
  found in other similar applications, &kappname; strives to present an
  individual and unique view of your finances.
</para>

</sect1>
</chapter>
