qif import - transaction - description field

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

Terrence Brannon <schemelab at gmail.com> writes:

> On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Derek Atkins <warlord at mit.edu> wrote:
>> Hi,
>
> Hi Derek,
>
>>
>> Terrence Brannon <schemelab at gmail.com> writes:
>
>>> I [created a qif file using the Perl module
>>> Finance::QIF](http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=1k2adbLu)
>>>
>>> The problem is that each transaction has no information in the
>>> description field, as shown in this [screen
>>> shot](http://bit.ly/9KxCK6)
>>>
>>> Is there some field I can add to each transaction in the QIF file so
>>> that the description field is not empty?
>>
>> Well, what you're showing in your second image is the list of accounts,
>> not the list of transactions.
>
> 1 - But if you look at the QIF file, what you call accounts are
> non-investment record types, not account record types

EXACTLY!  Which is why your accounts don't have descriptions!
The picture you show is a picture of your Chart of Accounts.  It is NOT
a picture of an account register.

> 2 -  In the Finance::QIF docs
> (http://search.cpan.org/~mmcgillis/Finance-QIF-3.01/lib/Finance/QIF.pm#RECORD_TYPES_&_VALUES),regarding
> Accounts, they state that you can list a series of transactions after
> listing an account, and they will all apply to that Account.

Correct, but you're forgetting that GnuCash is DOUBLE ENTRY ACCOUNTING.
Each transaction in the QIF file needs to map to two accounts.  The
"near" account and the "far" account.  Using !Account in the QIF file
sets the "near" account.  The "far" account is set using the QIF
Transaction Payee/Memo or Category setting.

In YOUR case you're giving each transaction its own category (using the
'L' QIF tag), and each one is a UNIQUE category.  You then tell the
importer to use the category name as the GnuCash Account Name.  So
basically what you're doing is telling the importer to create a unique
account for each transaction.  I doubt that's what you want to do.

If you double-click on the "Verio" account to open the Verio account
register you'll see all your transactions in there!  Then take a close
look at the transfer account for each transaction.

>> So what's missing there are your ACCOUNT
>> descriptions, which is due to not including !Account settings for those
>> additional accounts.
>
> Well, the QIF spec (
> http://web.intuit.com/support/quicken/docs/d_qif.html ) under "Items
> for Non-Investment Accounts" does not list a field called '!Account'
> such as you mention. I also dont see any option in the Finance::QIF
> API for non-investment record types to list an account.
>
> How would you amend  this non-investment item so that it is "attached"
> to an account with name "Jimbob"?

Is "Jimbob" the "near" account or the "far" account?  I.e., is it the
Credit or the Debit?  And what would you want the /other/ account to be?

> !Type:Bank
> Cunpaid
> D8/26/09
> PVerio
> MXYZ Memo.
> T-20.00
> AP. O. Box 974727, Dallas, TX 75397-4727
> A
> A
> A
> A
> A
> LDomain Name Registration:aaasaaassa.com 2 @ 10.00
> ^

Have you read the GnuCash Concepts & Tutorial Guide?  If not, I highly
recommend you do so before your next reply.

Thanks,

-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