GnuCash v2.21 - importing QIF file ...

[Doug Laidlaw]

On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:33:18 pm zed wrote:
> Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU> wrote:
>
> Hi
>
> > zed <zed at zed.net.nz> writes:
> > > For some time I have been using KMyMoney for my accounting needs.  I
> > > have now changed over to the GNOME environment and decided to give
> > > Gnucash a try but cannot import my account data files.
> > >
> > > Firstly, I saved the KMyMoney files as QIF.  Loaded Gnucash and
> > > clicked on Import.  Went to the directory in which the account file
> > > was and them clicked on Forward.  It appeared to be importing but I
> > > then got an error message:
> > >
> > > QIF file parse failed.  Data for number or date does not match a known
> > > format
> >
> > This error means either the number field or the date field failed.
>
> <snip>
>
> > > Can anybody on the list assist me with this problem, please.
> >
> > If you look in your QIF file (QIF is just text) then you'll see some
> > examples.  The Date field is under 'D', and the number fields are under
> > a bunch of other ones.
> >
> > Try to find a negative number somewhere.   IIRC that KMM exports
> > negative numbers as:  (1234.56) instead of -1234.56 which would
> > definitely confuse the GnuCash importer as the former is not a supported
> > format.
>
> Thank you very much for the very prompt reply. Your advice was "right on
> the button" :-)  I loaded the QIF file, did a search and replace and all
> went well.  Checked the imported file against the original and it is
> "perfect".  I am a very happy geriatric.
>
> All that now remains is to learn how to "drive" GnuCash.
>
> Regards from New Zealand on a very cool and rainy Thursday evening.
>
> Zed

So does that mean that in this case, the date field was O.K. and the number 
field was causing the problem, with the error message covering both cases
(just in case I get something similar)?

Doug.