Import QIF data to existing account?

[plussier@mindspring.com]

In a message dated: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 11:46:10 CDT
Russ Poyner said:

>Is it possible when importing quicken qif data files to have the imported 
>data added to and merged with data in an existing gnucash account rather than 
>having the data go to a new account?  

Absolutely, if the account names on the transactions in the QIF file 
also match the names of the account names already existing within 
the GnuCash chart of accounts which you're importing into, then 
GnuCash will place the transactions into the appropriate accounts.

I download my banks data file in QIF format, then massage the data 
with a perl script to make sure the QIF file will import easily.
This usually includes doing things like recognizing the Payee field 
and creating an account (L) field in the QIF file for the appropriate 
field.

For instance, if I see within a record of the downloaded file a payee 
of 'Sunoco' then the perl script creates an L field entry for that 
record and sets it to LExpenses:Auto:Gas.  That way, when the QIF 
file is imported, it's read into my Assets:Bank Accounts:Checking 
account, with all the L fields being the accounts to or from which 
money flowed.

Oh, I get it into the Assets:Bank Accounts:Checking account by 
creating a dummy first record which looks like:

	!Type:Bank
	D08/22/02
	POpening Balance
	L[Assets:Bank Accounts:Checking]
	^

The D field is created from a localtime() call to obtain the current 
date.

This imports all the data into the Checking account with the proper 
"links" to the other accounts in my Chart of Accounts.

HTH,

-- 

Seeya,
Paul
--
	It may look like I'm just sitting here doing nothing,
   but I'm really actively waiting for all my problems to go away.

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