Downloading

[Jim Kalafut]

> The longer explanation: The process which Quicken and MS-Money use to
> determine where and how to access your banks server to download the file
> is a proprietary one which no-one appears to have cracked yet. Because
> we can't access this information, Gnucash has no means of determining
> the location to download from, and therefore no-one has bothered to
> write the code for this process.

I find that aspect quite annoying.  For the time being, you may be able to
gain some useful knowledge from the OFX logs that both programs leave
behind.  The Quicken log, "OFXLOG.TXT" I think, is found in the main quicken
directory.  You can either cut out sections of the OFX log and make them
your import file (that process begs for a script to automate it), or you can
try to download directly with the insight to be gained theirin.  Some of the
FIs require a very specific OFX request be posted in order for them to send
a response.  Others have a simple GET-based approach and you can actually
just cut and paste a url into your browser.

In short, there are some steps you can take, but OFX download is for you,
me, and for many others a very important shortcoming we need to resolve.  My
biggest concern is that the FIs won't give us the time of day because MS and
Intuit hand-hold them through every step of setting up the OFX export.  A
google search turned up some interesting MS pages revealing the hoops an FI
must pass before MS will audit their export and then allow them to advertise
that they support downloading into Money.  My question is: what are the
legalities of me determining exactly what Quicken or Money requests from an
FI, and either a) doing that myself  b) publishing the information?  I mean,
in many cases the information is little more than: The url for OFX download
is https://ofx.bigbank.com......  Will we get in trouble for merely
determine what those address are for an OPEN Financial eXchange to download
OUR information?  If it's illegal then we're screwed since no one will want
to touch it.

Regards,
Jim