manual OFX creation

[Derek Atkins]

"Adam Monsen" <haircut at gmail.com> writes:

> So, I wrote a little python filter to convert CSV financial data to QIF
> which works nicely, and GnuCash even allows it to be imported. Whee!
>
> Only problem is, there doesn't seem to be any of that extremely handy
> automatic transaction description-to-GnuCash account matching that occurs
> when I do an OFX import. Well, there's something, but it doesn't seem to be
> as smart as whatever happens for OFX. It is definitely a different user
> interface; it only seems to match the transaction to the correct account
> when the description is a verbatim match.
>
> 1. Is there some way to use the OFX import matching goodness when importing
> a QIF file?

Only if you're willing to rewrite the QIF importer to use the new
importer infrastructure.  A few years ago I started to work on a
QIF importer re-write but I didn't finish it, and I'd probably do
it differently now if I had to start all over again again.

> 2. Why is the QIF import UI different than the OFX import UI?

Because it's older, written mostly in scheme, and hasn't been
re-written to interface to the new importer UI.

> 3. Is there perhaps an easy way to convert QIF to OFX so I can sidestep the
> QIF importer?

Probably not.

> 4. When I do have to manually pick the category, it takes for fricking ever
> to use the mouse to do it. It would be way cooler to be able to use
> keystrokes like "A:L:C" for "Accounts:Liquid:Cash in Wallet"
>
> I did some searching in the documentation and on the mailing list, but I
> couldn't find the answer(s) I am looking for.
[snip]
> Note to self 1: Mark J. Cox's "2ofx.pl" might be helpful in learning how to
> author OFX.
> http://www.awe.com/mark/financial/2ofx.pl

Unlikely, it's just a download script to download OFX from a server.

> Note to self 2: OFX looks quite complex to author. It seems to need some
> kind of running total/current balance information that I don't know how to
> provide.

Yeah.

> Note to self 3: Right now my choices are looking like:
> a. Just be happy with the QIF importer
> b. try to figure out OFX
> c. try to hack GnuCash

I'd recommend and encourage (c)  :)

-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