ALMOST WORKING: quickbooks to iif to qif to gnucash

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

Keith Hellman <khellman at mcprogramming.com> writes:

> Hello all:
>
> I feel I'm close to having a Quickbooks to GnuCash conversion process
> completed (I'll post the recipe if I can make it work all the way).
> Right now I have a python script that is reading IIF format and
> generating QIF (see attached files).
>
> When I import the QIF into GnuCash (1.8.8 debian sarge), in the next
> druid page after QIF file selection, it says:
>
>   The QIF file you have loaded appears to have transactions for just 
>   one account, but the file does not specify a name for that account.

This means that you didn't supply QIF Accounts in the QIF File, so the
importer thinks you're importing a single QIF Account data.  This is
probably not what you want.

> The default choice for the attached files is 'input'.  The rest of the
> import proceeds without incidence.  When it is finished I have a file
> with an 'input' account, when I would have thought I would have a '1st
> Bank Checking' account.

I bet that's because the file is named "input.qif", right?  ;) It
defaults to filename -> qif-account -- but later in the process you
can map that qif-account to a gnucash account (assuming you're paying
attention during the import process).  If you wanted it to be "1st
Bank Checking" then you need to provide that account name.

> Do I need to separate my big QIF file into separate files for all
> accounts that occur in the 'L' field? Or do I specify an specific account
> with a '!Account' record entry in the QIF?  Or (most likely) have I
> missed some important aspect of QIF generation or GNUcash importing?

Either way will work.  You could separate out each account into its
own file, or you can combine them all into a single QIF file and
provide !Account directives to specify the current qif-account.  You
probably want the latter.

I don't think you missed anything about the import process.

> I suspect either of the first two answers are as much work to implement
> in my python script, I'm just looking for a little direction from the
> people in the know.

I would suggest the one-file approach and just use the !Account
directives.

> TIA
>
> PS:  please cross-reply to me, as I have not subscribed to the lists
> (yet).

You should subscribe, otherwise your posts will be held for
moderation..  And that happens about once or twice a month, so you
could be waiting up to 4 weeks for your post to get through if you are
not subscribed.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available