import - banging my head on the wall

[David T.]

Cedric,

Welcome to GnuCash; I hope you see this.

I am sorry to hear of your troubles with importing data into GnuCash. Please understand that this process is challenging for many people, since not only are you new to the software, but the process is a complicated one that can be prone to error.

First off, I should tell you that I am just another user, albeit one with a few more years experience using GnuCash than you. So, my advice will be limited to my own experience and knowledge. I trust that any mistakes I include will be corrected or amplified by others.

Next, it will be helpful for me to ask you how much data you are talking about here. There are a couple of tradeoffs to consider here. 

First, if your data covers a short period of time, or includes only relatively few transactions (on order of hundreds, rather than thousands), then it may be easier and more beneficial to your ongoing use of GnuCash to enter these transactions by hand. This will give you additional experience using the software, which will be of benefit down the line. 

On the other hand, if your data covers many months or years and includes thousands of complex transactions, then it may be easier to leave those transactions in their current location, and use Excel to reference that information when needed. In this situation, you would “Close the books” on your Excel data, and open new books in GnuCash, noting the account balances as of your starting date.

Finally, if you have data that absolutely must be included in your GnuCash data file, then yes of course, you should try and figure out how to get your data in. Just keep in mind that this process is a one-off (hopefully), and the time you invest for this will not be repeated.

Now, on to the issue itself.

You mention that you tried “CSV, QIF, [and] OFX”—can you be a little more clear? Did you attempt to use these import formats directly from your Excel file, or did you take any steps to modify your data before trying the import? I am not extremely well-versed with the various import features of GnuCash, but I do believe that you must save your Excel-stored data in the proper data format (CSV, QIF or OFX, respectively) for the GnuCash importer to successfully process your data. For CSV, I believe that “Save as” comma-separated values works—but you need to find special tools to convert an Excel file into QIF or OFX—which is why I ask the question in the first place. I believe that there is a somewhat-dated Excel macro set on the internet for converting an Excel file into QIF format, although I am not certain whether it still works, or what your success with it will be. For the record, if you can get your data into well-formed QIF or OFX, then your likelihood of success will increase, as these data formats are more specific than CSV and better-suited for transfer into GnuCash.

The CSV importer is something with which I have very little direct experience. However, I have read numerous email threads on this list over the years that give me the sense that CSV can be difficult to get right, since the GnuCash CSV exporter has very specific expectations on the format. I will not attempt to answer those specifics, but will defer to others who may be able to give you precise guidance.

HTH,
David

> On Dec 10, 2016, at 1:55 AM, Alex Aycinena <alex.aycinena at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 10:40 PM, Cédric - Fruit Pacifique <
> Cedric at fruitpacifique.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hello Alex,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I am emailing you because your name is the first in the documentation
>> team… but I don’t know if you are the right person to reach out to.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I think this is the first time I reach out, normally I try to figure out
>> the program, read posts and eventually I find the solution… but here I am
>> completely stuck and ready to bang my head on the wall after having spent
>> 1.5 days trying to find a solution. So please help me or redirect me.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I’ve downloaded Gnucash 2.6.14 after having worked for two years on Excel
>> to do the accounts. I was looking for a better way to do the accounting and
>> was happy to find Gnucash. I first input three months’ worth of bills to
>> understand Gnucash. I then imported Paypal data and it went just fine.
>> 
>> Then, I wanted to import all the transactions recorded on Excel… but I am
>> stuck. I tried CSV, QIF, OFX conversions… I changed the order of data…
>> Nothing works.
>> 
>> I exported expenses data from Gnucash to see the order. I formatted my
>> data in a similar pattern… but then, I cannot see how to import.
>> 
>> I looked on all the tutorials, the posts… I cannot understand.
>> 
>> I am attaching one of the 5 different CSV files created for this import
>> process, in order for you to better understand what I am doing wrong.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Basically, I think my main hurdle is that I do not know how to order and
>> match fields. The importer of Gnucash, the third party converters… they all
>> use different names for the fields and even then, it almost feels like I
>> cannot input all fields because there is just no option.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I am sure there is a way, because going from one software to another owes
>> to be possible… Can you please tell me how to go about it?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I thank you for your attention,
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Cédric Holtz
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> __________________________________________
>> 
>> Cédric Holtz
>> 
>> Fruit Pacifique – www.facebook.com/fruitpac/
>> 
>> PO box 6280 – Apia – Samoa – ph: +685 7283 747
>> 
>> cedric at fruitpacifique.com
>> 
>> skype: edittalk
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> These questions should be asked on the gnucash-users list to which I am
> forwarding your note. Please go to www.gnucash.org to put yourself on the
> list.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Alex
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