Interesting QIF Importer "problem"

[Derek Atkins]

Using Bill's most recent set of patches, I was able to get the
importer to create a completely bogus set of accounts...

I started with this:

+-Assets (Asset)
|  +-Vanguard (Asset)
|     +-Treas MM (Bank, Security[Grey]="FUND:VMPXX (VMPXX)")
|     +-IT Tax-Ex (Mutual Fund, Security="FUND:VWITX (VWITX)")
|     +-500 Index (Mutual Fund, Security="FUND:VFINX (VFINX)")
+-Income (Income)
   +-Dividends (Income)
      +-Mutual Fund (Income)

I then load the following QIF file and map the appropriate accounts
and categories in the intuitive manner.  Finally, I wind up with this
(new) account tree (it creates a whole set of duplicate accounts,
because it doesn't like my original tree):

+-Assets 2 (Expense)
|  +-Vanguard 2 (Income)
|     +-Treas MM 2 (Stock, Security[Grey]="FUND:VMPXX (VMPXX)")
|     +-IT Tax-Ex 2 (Income, Security="FUND:VWITX (VWITX)")
|     +-500 Index 2 (Income, Security="FUND:VFINX (VFINX)")

Clearly this is absolutely bogus.  Indeed, why is it even allowed to
parent an income account to an expense account?  Yes, I realize that
perhaps this QIF file is a 'broken', but you know, the importer still
shouldn't do this.

Now that I've got the imports of the IT Tax-Ex and 500 Index to work,
perhaps I should just make a PERL script that converts the Treas MM
QIF into something that looks like a Bank type, and remove the
duplicate transactions?  But frankly, I don't think I should have to
do that.

OTOH, I think the importer is trying to be too smart about making sure
accounts match in this way.  In particular, I don't think you have any
way to know what type of account '500 index' is supposed to be given
the following QIF file (of even if it says [500 Index], same
complaint).

-derek

!Type:Invst
D09/03/99
NSellX   
YTreas MM
T100.00
I1.00
Q100
L500 Index
$100.00
^
D09/03/99
NSellX   
YTreas MM
T100.00
I1.00
Q100
LIT Tax-Ex
$100.00
^
D08/31/99
NReinvDiv
YTreas MM
T30.57
I1.00
Q30.57
^

-- 
       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@MIT.EDU                        PGP key available