How does the generic import transaction matcher work?

[David T.]

Tony--

I don't know the inner workings. I will share what I can. 

Be aware that OFX and QIF importing differ. I believe that OFX uses hidden transaction ID codes to match things up, although there are gaps in this. QIF (I believe) attempts to use common elements of importing transactions to match them up, with a little fuzziness built in (e.g., the transaction date has (I believe) a window within which it will match a transaction).

I do know that the importer will not import something that it believes is already in the register, although I do not know its metrics for deciding this. I have had times when a completely new incoming transaction is matched to an old transaction...

Update and Reconcile will OVERWRITE whatever you have in your register with what is in the file you are importing. It is the default when a transaction matches some threshold, and it bugs the hell out of me that this is the default. It would seem to me that if I have taken the effort to put in a transaction into my personal register of transactions, that MY form would be official, but that's not how the importer does it. Reconcile will leave your entry in place.

I've never noticed the Imbalance/Need Account variants before. When I can, I select a destination account (by double-clicking the transaction and selecting from the window), but there are transactions (like multi-split transactions) that I find easier to import with Imbalanace. Then I open Imbalance and correct the transactions I find there. 

Personally, I keep the Imbalance account open and check it regularly; it's a good barometer of how many errors are creeping into my data.

HTH,
David




________________________________
 From: Tony <tony at ogrady.eu>
To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org 
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 1:35 PM
Subject: How does the generic import transaction matcher work?
 
Thanks Trythis for your response. Now I know that this is built into AqBanking and see that something is going on.

Is there any documentation that I can read to understand how the generic import transaction matcher works? At the moment I am trying to work it our by experimenting.

I see three different pieces of information but can only guess what they mean. They are:
1) Colour code: Red / Yellow / Green
2) Action: Add / Update & Reconcile / Reconcile
and 3) the combination of the two seems to result in one of the following:
- Reconcile (auto) match
- New, transfer to (auto) "Imbalance"
- Do not import (no action selected)
- New, UNBALANCED (need acct to transfer...)
- Update and reconcile (auto) match
- Reconcile (auto) match

So for example I don't understand why the generic import transaction matcher would suggest not to import a transaction. What is the difference between Imbalance and unbalanced? What's the difference between 'Update and reconcile (auto) match'  and 'Reconcile (auto) match'.

All answers or links to documentation gratefully accepted.

Thanks,

Tony



On 30, Jan2013, at 04:29 , trythis [via GnuCash] <ml-node+s1415818n4659268h88 at n4.nabble.com> wrote:

> the AqBanking import system learns from your selections. If you import a week at at time then your repeated transfers, expenses, etc, will get suggestions within the Aqbanking import function.  It does not learn within a session, only from one session to the next.  If you attempt 3 months of imports in one session, it will learn for the next import attempt but going through 3 months of transactions can be very, very tedious. 
> 
> That's all there is and it does make things rather boring.  It wont learn to allocate similar transactions only exact.  For instance, Starbucks #273 once selected and learned will always go into "coffee shops" or whatever, but the next time you pull down your bank transactions, Starbucks #274 will not trigger "coffee shops", it will have to be manually allocated. 
> 
> g 
> 
> 
> Tony wrote
> I have just installed gnucash, set up accounts and got the online transaction working using the AqBanking Wizard with the HBCI standard. It all works wonderfully well. 
> 
> I am now looking for the feature that can learn to categorise my incoming bank account transactions and allocate them to the correct income or expense account. 
> 
> I've surfed for answers and find something on a Generic Import Transaction Matcher but I think this is only used in connection wit the OFX import function. I also found a reference to scripting rules in the editor of jGnucashLib but that dates back to 2009 and I know nothing about scripting. 
> 
> Can some advise me on how best to proceed? 
> 
> Thanks. Tony
> 
> 
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