Query on state of import QIF

Derek Atkins warlord at mit.edu
Sun Dec 28 16:00:12 CST 2003


Hi,

Quoting David Highley <dhighley at highley-recommended.com>:

> I'm just trying to confirm the current state for importing Quicken QIF
> export files. It appears from searching the net and my attempts that the
> import operation may not be complete.

QIF import should work just fine, provided you don't have a broken QIF.  
Recent versions of Money and Quicken sometimes generate "broken" QIF files 
which the importer wont read properly without some manual intervention.

> I install gnucash-1.8.8-0.9 on a RedHat 9 system and tried importing
> from Quicken 2003. While investment accounts were set up none of the
> stock or mutual funds nor transactions were imported. I did not spend
> time checking on other transactions or accounts.

If no transactions were imported then either there were no transactions in the 
QIF file, you didn't complete the import process, or the QIF file was broken.  
I suggest you look at the QIF file in question and make sure it's a "valid" 
QIF file.

> I'm also interested in transferring Quickbooks data. So are my experiences
> to be expected or does there appear to be a problem with my
> installation?

There is no import method for Quickbooks data at this time.

Your experiences are not unique, but they are not common either.  Generally, 
as I said, it's a broken QIF file.  The real problem is that QIF is a de facto 
standard, not a real standard.  This means that every version of Quicken and 
Money create QIF files that are slightly different, and the GnuCash importer 
just has not kept up with all the new variants of brokenness that have been 
introduced into the format.

Without a sample of what does not work, there isn't much else I can tell you.

-derek



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