OFX Importer and Transaction Matcher

[Derek Atkins]

"Berck E. Nash" <flyboy at gmail.com> writes:

> Derek Atkins wrote:
>
>>> To give you a concrete example:  Yesterday I tried to import a $100
>>> transaction and the ONLY ONE it offers as a possible match is a $40
>>> transaction!  Yet there were TWO $100 uncleared transactions it
>>> should have listed as a match...
>> What are the dates of the transactions?  The matcher should look for
>> <date> +/ <date_delta> and <amount> +/- <amount_delta>
>
> This might be the problem.  The date of the transaction was 12 days 
> previous.  Is there a hard threshold for date of the transaction?  I 
> enter the date I issue a check, and it's obviously not going to clear 
> for some time after that...  So it sounds like the matcher is 
> excessively weighted on transaction date with hard threshold for x days? 
>  The lack of success of the matcher would be consistant with an 
> over-emphasis on dates rather than amounts.  It seems like it should 
> first look for all transactions matching the amount, then sort them by 
> relevance first by description then by date.

I believe it's +/- 7-10 days.  I also think it's a setting in the
options.  Did you check your preferences?

> Another problem I have with the matcher which isn't related to the date:
>
> My paycheck gets direct deposited every two weeks.  The amount is always 
> slightly different.  I never enter the transaction manually, but allow 
> the transaction importer to do so as a "new" transaction.  Unfortuately, 
> it always attempts to match with the previous transaction rather than 
> create a new one.  The date is always two weeks previous, the amount 
> different, AND the transaction is ALREADY marked as cleared.  The only 
> reason I can think of that it matches is that the description is 
> identical.  If it placed a greater weight on transaction amount and 
> whether or not the transaction has already been cleared, I think it 
> would then suggest that the transaction is a new one rather than try to 
> match with the previous one.
>
> In comparison to my other problems, this is merely a minor nuisance, 
> since it's quite simple just to check "new" transaction on the importer. 
>  But I think it could be improved.

File a bug report.  Or better yet, send in patches.  :)

-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