OFX Transaction Matching [Was: Re: Another one unhappy with quickfill]

[David Carlson]

On 12/17/2013 11:49 AM, David Carlson wrote:
> On 12/17/2013 9:23 AM, John Ralls wrote:
>> On Dec 16, 2013, at 5:47 PM, Nicolas MT <nicolas.mt at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Jeff Kletsky <gnucash <at> allycomm.com> writes:
>>> Hi, 
>>>
>>> I am not sure I respecting protocol 
>>> or so to reply to this post, but I am having 
>>> the same problem as described below in 
>>> Gnucash and I wanted to know if you 
>>> upgraded (or worked on a upgrade/python
>>> binding) to improve the OFX Transaction 
>>> Matching in GnuCash. My problem is that 
>>> Gnucash do not recognize the accounts in 
>>> which I want to put my transaction when I 
>>> import them from an OFX file.
>>>
>>> The best of the best for me (but then again
>>> I don't really know what I'm talking about) 
>>> would be to have an option in which you could 
>>> tell Gnucash to class the transaction 
>>> in the account depending on what is written in 
>>> the description tab. A little bit like 
>>> an advanced search works. For example, I would 
>>> a rule search for the word "metro" 
>>> and then class all transactions with this name in
>>> the grocery account.
>>>
>>> Does this make sense?
>> Not really. What do you mean "GnuCash [does] not recognize the accounts"? Do the accounts exist in GnuCash?
>>
>> GnuCash has two methods of transaction matching, exact and Bayesian. If you want matching to work off of a single word in varying descriptions, you'll want to enable Bayesian matching in preferences. Note that, depending upon how much variation there is in the descriptions, it may take several imports to train the Bayesian database to match correctly, and that you *must* do the matching in the import transaction matching dialog.
>>
>>> PS: BTW, I'm having another problem 
>> Then by all means ask about it in a new thread.
>>
>> Regards,
>> John Ralls
>>
>>
>>
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> Jeff,
> I am not a developer but I do use the OFX importer a lot.
>
> There are two different levels of matching going on and it is difficult
> for a user to figure it out. 
>
> One level is selection of a target account to assign the funds to for
> that particular incoming transaction.  This happens if the A box is
> checked. This is fairly easy for the user to decide whether the
> selection is correct or not and fix it if it is not.  The problem here
> is that the assistant often repeats the same mistake over and over again.
>
> The other level is matching to existing transactions.  This happens if
> either the R or the U+R box is checked.  Here it is critical for the
> user to double-click on the incoming transaction to make sure that the
> match is to the correct existing transaction.  Sometimes the import
> assistant cannot be directed to the correct existing transaction.  If
> that is the case, either check the A box and expect to delete something
> later or uncheck all three boxes and expect to manually change the
> reconcile status from 'n' to 'c' for the existing transaction later. 
> Either of these choices requires remembering what you planned to do for
> each case after the import. has completed. 
> Worse, if the incoming transaction is actually a new transaction and
> should not have either the R or the U+R box checked, it must be caught
> the first time because there are no 'do-overs'.  Once a given incoming
> transaction has been matched this way, you will never see it again.  The
> only recourse is to go back to a backup GnuCash data file from before
> the import.  I always do a File-Save just before every import.
>
> The whole thing gets more complicated by the fact that different
> Financial Institutions construct the transaction records differently.  I
> am not sure whether the Bayesian matcher creates a different set of
> rules for each combination of Financial Institution and incoming
> account, especially if there is more than one incoming account in the
> same OFX file.  Oh, which of the two levels is the matcher working at? 
> Both?
>
> Finally, there is the irritation that once the import is accepted the
> user can go have lunch while the importer is chugging away and hope that
> he remembers every special case that he will need to manually fix once
> the import is complete.  I usually play Solitaire and sometimes I get
> two games in while waiting.
>
> Jeff, does that help you?
>
> David C
Sorry, Jeff, I thought that you asked the question.  This reply should
have been directed to Nicolas.

David C