GnuCash OFX import not matching accounts of same ID

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

Ngewi Fet <ngewif at gmail.com> writes:

> On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 3:15 PM, Derek Atkins <warlord at mit.edu> wrote:
>
>     Hi,
>    
>     Ngewi Fet <ngewif at gmail.com> writes:
>    
>     > At the moment I am trying to export QIF from the Android app. 
>     > GnuCash keeps asking for a "default" account name to import into and
>     says the
>     > QIF file does not specify an account (4th page of the import wizard). 
>     > Here is an example QIF file content that I am currently generating :
>     >
>     > !Type:Cash
>     > D2013/9/11
>     > T-42.00
>     > LAssets:Current Assets:Petty Cash
>     > SExpenses:Charity
>     > E
>     > $42.00
>     > ^
>    
>     This is... invalid.  The 'S' doesn't apply here, so would be ignored.
>     What you're saying is that you have a Cash transaction from the default
>     account to the expense category "Assets:Current Assets:Petty Cash".
>
> Actually the S is not ignored. When I now include the modifications to specify
> the account, GnuCash imports the transfer transactions correctly. 
> So now it looks like this:

Sorry, you are correct, this is building a "Split transaciton", but it's
still confusing to QIF to put the L and S/E/$ in the same tranaction.
Normally you would use one or the other, not both.

>     !Account
>     NAssets:Current Assets:Petty Cash
>     ^
>     !Type:Cash
>     D2012/10/11
>     T-42.00
>     SExpenses:Charity
>     EGiveaway
>     $45.00
>     ^
>
[snip]
>
> Although QIF is not double-entry, if I specify the S split in the QIF, GnuCash
> properly imports the transaction as a split.
> So I can continue to use the Splits for this purpose right?

Yes, QIF *does* have the concept of a multi-split transaction, as you've
seen.

>     > I even tried a variation of removing the acocunt information and putting
>     the
>     > double entry as two splits, but it the prompt for a default account
>     still
>     > shows.
>     >
>     > What am I doing wrong? How can I make GnuCash not ask for a default
>     account
>     > each time? Or do I misunderstand how the import is supposed to work?
>    
>     You're using single-account QIF when you want multi-account QIF.
>
> So with multi-account QIF,,  I have to specify each account before listing its
> transactions right?
> I'll try it and see.

Yes.  It would be something like:

!Account
NAssets:Bank1
^
!Type:Bank
[bank1 txns]
^
!Account
NAssets:Bank2
^
!Type:Bank
[bank2 txns]
^

> Regards,
> Ngewi

-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