QIF Import automatically assign Transactions

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

<Matt.Garrett at shell.com> writes:

> Derek
>
> Thank you for your reply.
>
> I think writing Perl scripts to massage QIF data is a bit beyond my capabilities
> Don't think my Windows machine even has Perl installed.
>
> The above would also upset the transactions as the memo / reference
> would change and could not be then matched up with physical bank
> statements.

True, but the rest, like the date and amount, would.  Or do you have
lots of transactions with the same amount?  Also, if you're importing
all your transactions then there's very little reason to re-check them
against the statement; you're already trusting the bank didn't make a
mistake!

I always recommend that you hand-enter all your transactions from your
receipts and then you can reconcile against the statements.  Personally
I don't use any of the importers exactly for this reason:  I want to be
able to detect a bank error.  (And I have)

> For this reason alone I don't think GnuCash is for me.
> I would be better off writing a VBA excel macro to match the data and
> stick to my current method of using Excel.

Your other option is to use OFX, which DOES match on tokens instead of
full strings.  Although honestly I find it very silly to throw out all
of GnuCash just because one feature doesn't work the way you like.  It's
like selling a house because you don't like the chandelier over the
dining room table.  *shrugs*

> Matthew

-derek

>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Derek Atkins [mailto:warlord at MIT.EDU] 
> Sent: 29 October 2013 17:47
> To: Garrett, Matt SITI-ITV/TBW
> Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: Re: QIF Import automatically assign Transactions
>
> Hi,
>
> <Matt.Garrett at shell.com> writes:
>
>> Folks
>>
>> I am very new to GNUCash so this might be a very simple question / 
>> answer
>>
>> I can download my Bank Transaction in to QIF format and import them 
>> without any issues.
>> However on the Match payess/memos to GnuCash accounts I can specify 
>> each transaction about 300 odd manually to a GNU Account name However 
>> most of the payess are the same e.g FASTER PAYMENTS RECEIPT FROM AN 
>> Other 2000000000*******4 REFERENCE 26 FLAT, 205.00GBP
>>
>> Is there a way to get GnuCash to automatically Specify which account 
>> this should be assigned to in the import stage ?
>
> The QIF importer matcher system uses full strings instead of tokenized
>> strings to match accounts.  That means that if any portion of the
>> Payee or Memo string changes at all (e.g. changing reference number)
>> then the matcher wont recognize it the next time.
>
>> Any suggestion would be very welcome.
>
> I suggest you write and run a PERL script to massage the QIF before
>> you import it so as to standardize the Payee and/or Memo fields so
>> they are always consistent.
>
>> Matthew
>>
>> FYI
>> Platform                       Windows Vista SP2
>> GnuCash version           2.4.13
>
>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>
> -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