gnucash-docs maint: Bug 796856 Help Ch6 section added for importing from files (reapplied)
Frank H.Ellenberger
fell at code.gnucash.org
Sat Mar 30 19:54:50 EDT 2019
Updated via https://github.com/Gnucash/gnucash-docs/commit/98d0a253 (commit)
from https://github.com/Gnucash/gnucash-docs/commit/cec6df4a (commit)
commit 98d0a253af5618b4bc288c1c40dcda58879f50ae
Author: David Cousens <davidcousens at bigpond.com>
Date: Sat Sep 15 10:30:39 2018 +1000
Bug 796856 Help Ch6 section added for importing from files (reapplied)
Incorporates changes associated with Bug 796778 re multiple selections
in import matcher
(Got lost by commit 7579770)
diff --git a/help/C/Help_ch_Transactions.xml b/help/C/Help_ch_Transactions.xml
index 5a7bfd4..cda53e3 100644
--- a/help/C/Help_ch_Transactions.xml
+++ b/help/C/Help_ch_Transactions.xml
@@ -862,6 +862,267 @@ Translators:
to print the check.</para>
</sect1>
+ <sect1 id="trans-import">
+ <title>Importing Transactions from Files</title>
+
+ <para>Imported transactions will generally be to a specific account in your account tree. In the following
+ this will be referred to as the <emphasis role="bold">import</emphasis> or
+ <emphasis role="bold">base</emphasis> account. It may or may not be
+ specified in the data being imported depending on the import format. It is usually the first split
+ of a transaction being imported.
+ </para>
+ <para>All transactions will also need to have a <emphasis role="bold">destination</emphasis> account for
+ at least a matching splits. This may or may not be supplied in the imported data. If it is not,
+ an account can be assigned on the basis of the previous import history by matching to infomation in
+ the imported data. The user may always over-ride this assignment.
+ </para>
+ <para>Multi-split data previously exported from GnuCash may have both the import and destination accounts
+ for transaction splits specified in the data file.
+ </para>
+ <sect2>
+ <title>Import Formats</title>
+ <para>Gnucash allows transactions to be imported in the following formats:</para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold"><link linkend="trans-import-qif">QIF</link></emphasis>
+ (.qif) Quicken Interchange format - import data from Quicken financial software;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold"><link linkend="trans-import-ofx">OFX/QFX</link></emphasis>
+ (.ofx,.qfx) Open Financial eXchange format (QXF is an Intuit/Quicken proprietary version of OFX);
+ </para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold"><link linkend="trans-import-csv">CSV</link></emphasis>
+ (.csv) Comma Separated Values;</para></listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+
+ <para>These import methods can be accessed from the <emphasis role="bold">Import</emphasis> submenu
+ of the main menu <emphasis role="bold">File</emphasis> entry, along with methods for importing
+ other types of data. Select the appropriate entry in the <emphasis role="bold">Import</emphasis>
+ sub menu to initiate importing transactions.
+ </para>
+ </sect2>
+ <sect2 id="trans-import-qif">
+ <title>Import QIF</title>
+ <para>To import data from Quicken®, MS Money, or other programs that use QIF(Quicken® Interchange Format),
+ you must first export your data to a QIF file. One way to do this is to export each account as a
+ separate QIF file. An easier way, available in Quicken® 98 and beyond, is to export all accounts at
+ once into a single QIF file. Check your program's manual to determine if this option is available.
+ </para>
+ <sect3><title>To import QIF files:</title><para> </para></sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Load all of the QIF files containing data you wish to import</title>
+ <para>To do this, select <emphasis role="bold">File -> Import -> Import QIF...</emphasis> from the menu. When the QIF Import dialog
+ box appears, click <emphasis role="bold">Next</emphasis> and follow the instructions to guide you through the process of loading
+ your files.
+ </para>
+ <para>This image shows the start of the QIF Import Druid.<!--FIXME put an image of the import druid in --> </para>
+ <para>You will be prompted for a filename to load. Use the Select button to select your QIF file and
+ click Next to load it. Once the file is loaded, select Load another file if you have more files
+ to load. When you have loaded all your QIF files, click Next to continue with the import process.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Review the GnuCash accounts to be created.</title>
+ <para>The importer then matches up your QIF accounts and categories with GnuCash accounts and gives
+ you a brief description of the matching process. Clicking Next will bring you to a view comparing
+ your QIF accounts with the corresponding GnuCash accounts created. To change an account name, select
+ the row containing that account name and edit the name in the dialog box provided. Click Next when
+ you have finished making changes, and proceed through a similar category matching process. QIF
+ income and expense categories import as GnuCash income and expense accounts <!--(see section 3.1 FIXME for
+ more on this).--> Make changes to these account names if necessary, and click Next to continue.
+ </para>
+ <para><emphasis role="bold">Note:</emphasis> If you are not sure what changes are needed, it is safe to
+ accept the GnuCash account names. It is easy to edit the accounts later if you find you need to make
+ a change.
+ </para>
+ <para>From the drop-down list, select a standard currency to be used for the imported accounts and click <emphasis role="bold">Next</emphasis>
+ to continue. If you have stocks, mutual funds, or other securities, you will be prompted for additional
+ information. The importer dialog will ask for the exchange or listing (i.e. Nasdaq), the security's
+ full name, and the ticker symbol. If you do not have this information handy, you can edit the account
+ information later, once the import is complete. Click <emphasis role="bold">Next</emphasis> to continue.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Tell GnuCash to import the data.</title>
+ <para>The last step is the import. Once you have verified your account names and investment information,
+ click <emphasis role="bold">Finish</emphasis> in the Update your GnuCash accounts page to complete the import process. Depending
+ upon the size of your file, the import might take a few minutes to complete, so a progress bar
+ displays the percentage finished. When the import process is complete, GnuCash will return you
+ to the main window, which should now display the names of the accounts you imported.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ </sect2>
+ <sect2 id="trans-import-ofx">
+ <title>Import OFX/QFX</title>
+ <para>This opens a file selection dialog. Navigate to the file you wish to import, select a file with
+ the appropriate extension (.ofx or .qfx), then press the <emphasis role="bold">Import</emphasis> button.</para>
+ <para>Gnucash opens an Account Selection dialog to select an account in your CoA corresponding to data source. Select
+ the appropriate account from the account tree and press the <emphasis role="bold">OK</emphasis> button. On subsequent import of files from the
+ same source (identified by tags in the file), the source is remembered and the account selection dialog is not
+ displayed.</para>
+ <para>The generic import transaction matcher dialog is opened next. See the <link linkend="trans-import-matcher">
+ Import Matcher</link> section (common to both OFX/QFX and CSV import formats) following the Import CSV
+ section to continue the import process.
+ </para>
+ </sect2>
+ <sect2 id="trans-import-csv">
+ <title>Import CSV</title>
+ <para>Clicking on <emphasis role="bold">Import CSV</emphasis> in the Import menu will bring up the Import Assistant dialog. The first step brings up a file selection
+ dialog. Navigate to the location where the file you wish to import is located and select the file to import then click the
+ <emphasis role="bold">OK</emphasis> button.
+ </para>
+ <para>The next window will allow you to set parameters for the importing of the file. All widgets have tooltips which explain what
+ the setting affects and the options for the setting.
+ </para>
+ <sect3 id="trans-import-csv-save">
+ <title>Load and Save Settings</title>
+ <para>If this import is a regular occurrence, once you have set the other import paramters, you can save these settings by typing
+ in a setting name in the <emphasis role="bold">Load and Save Settings Entry</emphasis> combo box and pressing the <emphasis role="bold">Save</emphasis> button just to the right of the box.
+ Previously defined settings can be retrieved by selecting the appropriate setting name from the dropdown list activated by
+ the down arrow at the right end of the text box. The trash can button to the right of the Save button can be used to remove
+ the settings selected from the drop down list for the box. The settings group <emphasis role="bold">"GnuCash Export Settings"</emphasis> define a setting
+ group for the export and reimport of GnuCash transaction data - use this if importing data previously exported from GnuCash.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Account</title>
+ <para>This combo box allows you to select the base or import account into which the transactions will be imported. It may be left unset
+ if the imported data contains a column listing the accounts associated with each split or the import data
+ specifies the account for first split of the transaction.</para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>File Format</title>
+ <para>This section allows you to define whether the file has:
+ </para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para><emphasis role="bold">Fixed width columns</emphasis> Selecting this radio button will allow you to define
+ column boundaries by double clicking at the appropriate positions in the sample records displayed in the
+ panel below. Single clicking in a column will narrow, widen or merge the column.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para><emphasis role="bold">Separators</emphasis> Selecting this radio button will allow you to define characters
+ which will be used to distinguish columns in the input file. The default is comma separated however spaces,
+ tabs,colons or semicolons or any combination of them may be used to separate columns in the input file by
+ selecting the appropriate check boxes. You may also define custom separators by typing the required characters
+ into the text box and selecting the <emphasis role="bold">Custom</emphasis> checkbox. This may be used in combination with any of the
+ predefined separators.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para><emphasis role="bold">Multi-split</emphasis> Selecting this check box allows the splits for a single transaction
+ to be defined on consecutive lines within the file with each line defining a single split. If not selected each
+ line is assumed to contain the information for a single transaction including one or two splits.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Miscellaneous</title>
+ <para>The miscellaneous settings allow you to set:
+ </para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Encoding</emphasis>This is usually the UTF-8 variant for your locale;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Date Format</emphasis> This does not default to the Locale setting so check it matches the data you are importing;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Currency Format</emphasis>;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Leading Lines to Skip</emphasis>;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Trailing Lines to Skip</emphasis>;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Skip alternate lines</emphasis>;</para></listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ <para>to match the settings for the file you are importing. Tooltips may also contain information on the setting and options.</para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Import Panel</title>
+ <para>The import panel shows the data being imported as it is interpreted using the settings chosen to define columns and formats.
+ The dropdown lists in the headers for each column of the import allow you to associate a specific column in the imported data
+ with a specific field in the display of a transaction in an account register. At a minimum to import data, columns in the
+ imported data containing the following information <emphasis role="bold">must</emphasis> be specified:
+ </para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Date </emphasis>of transaction;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Account</emphasis> into which transaction is to be imported (or alternatively set the base account as above);</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Description</emphasis> of the transaction;</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Deposit or Withdrawal</emphasis> column.</para></listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ <para>The <emphasis role="bold">Skip Errors</emphasis> check box will skip trying to import any rows with errors in matching the columns.
+ </para>
+ <para>When you are happy with all the import settings, <link linkend="trans-import-csv-save">save</link> them
+ if you will use the same settings again, then press the <emphasis role="bold">Next</emphasis> button.
+ This will bring up a window which allows you to map the accounts identified in the account column (Account Id) with accounts
+ in the GnuCash account tree (Account name). Double click on a row to bring up a dialog to select the matching GnuCash account.
+ When you have selected a match for all accounts, click on the <emphasis role="bold">Next</emphasis> button.
+ </para>
+ <para>The Transaction Information panel allows review of data entry settings so far.
+ </para>
+ <para>Clicking on Match Transactions will then bring up the main <link linkend="trans-import-matcher">Import Matcher</link>
+ window described in the next section.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ </sect2>
+ <sect2 id="trans-import-matcher">
+ <title>Import Matcher</title>
+ <para>The Import Matcher uses a Bayesian approach to assign a destination account, if it is not specified in
+ the imported data, to each imported transaction based on the previous import history of the import account.
+ It also attempts to match the transactions being imported to any existing transactions
+ based on the date and the description fields<!-- FIXME add any other fields used in matching -->.
+ </para>
+ <para>Transaction rows which match existing transactions already in the import account are flagged not to be imported. They
+ will have a light green background and the A and U+R checkboxes will be unchecked and the R checkbox will be
+ checked. To override and import the transaction, check the A checkbox. The U and R boxes will be unchecked
+ automatically. The reliability of the match is indicated by a bar display in the Info column. If a destination
+ account for the second split is assigned by the matcher if will be appended to the info column.
+ </para>
+ <para>Transaction rows which do not match existing transactions in the import account, for which an assignment
+ of a destination account cannot be made on the basis of the previous import history to the account, will be
+ displayed with an orange-yellow background and the A box will be checked and U+R and R unchecked. A destination
+ account must be specified for these transactions.
+ </para>
+ <sect3><title>Assign a Destination Account to a Single Transaction</title>
+ <para>The currently selected row is selected by Left-clicking it. It is displayed with a mid dark green background.</para>
+ <para><emphasis role="bold">Double click</emphasis> on a row. This will select it and open an Account Selection
+ dialog. Select the desired destination account in the dialog and click <emphasis role="bold">OK</emphasis>. The row
+ background will change to a light green and the assigned destination account will be displayed
+ in the Info column.
+ </para>
+ <para>or alternatively, <emphasis role="bold">Left-click</emphasis> on a row to select it followed by a
+ <emphasis role="bold">Right-click </emphasis>to bring up a popup menu then select
+ "Assign a transfer account" to display the Account Selection dialog, select the destination account and
+ click the <emphasis role="bold">OK</emphasis> button.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Assign a Destination Account to Multiple Transaction</title>
+ <para>Sometimes you will have several transactions which will have the same destination account. Gnucash
+ allows you to select multiple transactions and apply the same destination account to all transactions
+ in the selection.
+ </para>
+ <para>Rows in a selection are displayed with a mid dark green background.</para>
+ <para>Multiple rows may be selected to have the same destination account assigned to them.</para>
+ <para>To select rows either:</para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Left click</emphasis> on first row and then
+ <emphasis role="bold">Ctrl-Left click</emphasis> on other rows to add to the selection or</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis role="bold">Left-click</emphasis> on a first row and then
+ <emphasis role="bold">Shift-Left-click</emphasis> on another row to select all rows between them.</para></listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ <para>then <emphasis role="bold">Right-click</emphasis> to display a popup menu and then select
+ <emphasis role="bold">"Assign a transfer account"</emphasis> to open the Account
+ Selection dialog. Select the desired destination account and click the <emphasis role="bold">OK</emphasis>
+ button in the Account Selection dialog.</para>
+ </sect3>
+ <sect3>
+ <title>Completing the Import</title>
+ <para>Once you have assigned destination accounts for all the imported transactions using the above methods
+ (all row backgrounds will be a light green colour), check that the assigned destination acounts are correct
+ and then press the <emphasis role="bold">OK</emphasis> button at the bottom of the Generic Import Matcher
+ window. The transactions selected for import will have their splits added to the selected source
+ and destination accounts.
+ </para>
+ <para>The choices made for the destination accounts and description/memo fields are remembered and stored and
+ used for future imports to the same account to automatically assign a destination account for transaction
+ records not containing destination account information.
+ </para>
+ </sect3>
+ </sect2>
+ </sect1>
<sect1 id="trans-online">
<title>Online Actions ...</title>
Summary of changes:
help/C/Help_ch_Transactions.xml | 261 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 261 insertions(+)
More information about the gnucash-changes
mailing list