Re: importing

[GWB]

Hello, Frank,

I am very sorry to hear that, and yes, it is very frustrating.  I'm
not a "guru" for .qif importing or anything else for that matter, but
I did some experimentation with .QIF files some weeks ago.  But just
off the top of my head, I would suggest:

-Are you sure your version of Quicken does not export a .QFX file?  If
so, you may find that to be far easier to import a .QFX file into
GnuCash.  Both .QFX and .OFX have a unique transaction identifier for
each transaction.  .QIF files do not.  That means you are far less
likely to have duplicate transactions when importing .QFX and .OFX.

-So I would first see if your Quicken program can export a .QFX or
.OFX file, and then try to import that into GnuCash.  If it does, then
from within GnuCash go to File>Import>Import OFX/QFX.  It's the
selection right below "Import QIF".

As you have discovered, importing .QIF is quite a bit of time and
effort.  I have had a similar experience, with many duplicates.  So if
you can export OFX/QFX then import, try that.

-One caveat with the "Generic Import Transaction Matcher" window: if
you press the "Cancel" button on the bottom right, nothing will be
saved into your GnuCash file.  If the program crashes, that may the
equivalent of pressing the "Cancel" button.  I have also spent much
time matching transactions, only to mistakenly press the "Cancel"
button to wipe it all out.

-If you can export and import by date periods, do that.  Export 1 to 3
months (i.e.,01/01/2016 to 01/31/2016, or 01/01/2016 to 03/31/2016),
then try to import it.  Try 1 month at first, see if you can get that
to work, then try longer periods.  I do not try to import more than 1
quarters worth of transactions, and in some cases, a lot less.

This is a cumbersome process, but I sometimes import all the
transactions into a "holder category", like "Expenses:Unknown" (or you
can create one call "Imported-Only").  I check the first box to the
left of each transaction, and assign the receiving account to
"Unknown".  After every transaction is marked to import, I then check
the "OK" button, or whatever version and system type of gnucash you
are using (whatever is not "cancel").

The last time I imported a .QIF file, I had lots of duplicates, and I
had to go through all of them after importing them into "Unknown".
After deleting one of the duplicates, I then assign the remaining
transaction to the correct receiving category.  To delete the
duplicate, I select the top line of the transaction, and then
selecting the "Delect Transaction" option from the "Transaction" menu.
The same amount, same date, same memo, usually means a duplicate, and
they are usually right next to each other in the transaction register.
I go to the "View" menu and select "Transaction Journal", and that way
I can see several lines of the transaction, and if the memo is also
identical.

Many (most?) financial institutions will let you download transaction
(or activity) files directly on to your computer, in formats like QFX,
OFX, QIF, CSV, IIS.  I download all the formats, and try to import OFX
first, then QFX, then QIF.  I also look at the CSV file in a
spreadsheet to see if it has any additional data.

I think you will have better luck if you can use OFX or QFX files to
export and import.

Gordon

On Sun, Oct 8, 2017 at 8:27 PM, frank raney  wrote:
> Just finished 6 hours correcting all the data i imported and before I could 
> save it, the program crashed. All I have is the unchanged imported data 
> fileWhen it crashed, the file was lost but there is a log 
> file..what it is I don't know.  Guess I have to start all over?
>
>
> Frankie Raney
> 12454 Auberry Rd.
> Clovis, Ca.
> 559.297.8577 H
> 559.304.1751 C
> On 10/7/2017 7:15:37 PM, David Carlson  wrote:
> Frank,
>
>
> I did not mean to imply that it worked better then, but it may have worked 
> differently in older releases.  In any case, if you went that far back, there 
> are some file compatibility issues to be concerned with.  I do recall being 
> irritated with the fact that the QIF importer failed to import memos in split 
> transactions, and I think that has been fixed.
>
>
> The main thing is that neither David T nor I recall having a significant 
> problem avoiding the potential duplicate transactions that could arise if the 
> user does not know the best procedure (as you have seen).
>
>
> David C
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 7, 2017 at 6:55 PM, frank raney  [mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]> wrote:
>
>
>
> Frankie Raney
> If it worked good in 2.2, then maybe I can get that version, try it and if it 
> works good, then upgrade.
> On 10/7/2017 4:45:51 PM, David Carlson  [mailto:david.carlson@gmail.com]> wrote:
> Frank and David T,
>
> I believe that the QIF importer may not work exactly the same way that it did 
> back in the 2.2 series or the 2.4 series  or even the 2.6 series before 
> release 2.6.18.
>
> If that is the c as e  then we really do need someone who is familiar with 
> the way it works n

Re: importing

[David Carlson]

Frank,

I just tried the QIF importer on a tiny file that I had laying around.  For
this test I was using release 2.6.15 in Windows.

I found that the QIF importer is somewhat tedious to use initially until it
has some history in it's memory from previous imports.  After several steps
of finding the correct account names to import into, it does have a step to
find possible matches of existing transactions to new incoming
transactions.  A good reason to take baby steps here is that you may need
to remember what the transactions looked like in Quicken to be good at
making the correct matches.  Once you have some history imported correctly,
it should get easier to import more history without accidentally letting
too many duplicates through.  When you see the data you may find that
certain transactions in your Quicken file would import better if they were
changed in Quicken before being exported.  I recall that around 2005 or a
little later it was possible to export single accounts and limited time
intervals from Quicken, which helped me then.  I know that Quicken has
changed a lot since then and that may not be possible any more.


David C


On Sun, Oct 8, 2017 at 10:24 PM, David Carlson 
wrote:

> Frank,
>
> Sorry to hear about that misfortune.
>
> Theoretically you you can use file > replay log and that may get you close
> to where it was before it crashed, but in your case that may not be your
> best choice.
>
> I suggest writing up your experiences so far to learning about some of the
> mistakes that Gnucash is not very good at protecting users from making.
>
> That said, you can establish procedures to avoid those mistakes, and I
> think that if you do that and continue with Gnucash it can probably meet
> your needs.
>
> You have now learned that you should save your d ata file often, perhaps
> every five minutes.
>
> When learning how the import process works, it is wise to start with baby
> steps, perhaps starting over several times when you are not getting the
> desired results.
>
> As David T suggested, you may find it helpful to make changes to your
> Quicken data before exporting to QIF.
>
> Good luck.
>
> David C
>
> On Oct 8, 2017 8:27 PM, "frank raney"  wrote:
>
> Just finished 6 hours correcting all the data i imported and before I
> could save it, the program crashed. All I have is the unchanged imported
> data fileWhen it crashed, the file was lost but there is a log
> file..what it is I don't know.  Guess I have to start all over?
>
> *Frankie Raney*
> *12454 Auberry Rd.
> *
> *Clovis, Ca
> .*
> *559.297.8577 <(559)%20297-8577> H*
> *559.304.1751 <(559)%20304-1751> C*
>
> On 10/7/2017 7:15:37 PM, David Carlson 
> wrote:
> Frank,
>
> I did not mean to imply that it worked better then, but it may have worked
> differently in older releases.  In any case, if you went that far back,
> there are some file compatibility issues to be concerned with.  I do recall
> being irritated with the fact that the QIF importer failed to import memos
> in split transactions, and I think that has been fixed.
>
> The main thing is that neither David T nor I recall having a significant
> problem avoiding the potential duplicate transactions that could arise if
> the user does not know the best procedure (as you have seen).
>
> David C
>
> On Sat, Oct 7, 2017 at 6:55 PM, frank raney 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> *Frankie Raney*
>> *If it worked good in 2.2, then maybe I can get that version, try it and
>> if it works good, then upgrade.*
>>
>> On 10/7/2017 4:45:51 PM, David Carlson 
>> wrote:
>> Frank and David T,
>>
>> I believe that the QIF importer may not work exactly the same way that it
>> did back in the 2.2 series or the 2.4 series  or even the 2.6 series before
>> release 2.6.18.
>>
>> If that is the c as e  then we really do need someone who is familiar
>> with the way it works now to jump in and help.
>>
>> David C
>>
>> On Oct 7, 2017 3:18 PM, "frank raney"  wrote:
>>
>> I did import all at once..don't know yet how to export individual
>> accounts from Quicken..
>>
>>
>> Frankie Raney
>>
>> On 10/7/2017 7:46:05 AM, David T.  wrote:
>> Frank,
>>
>> The *other* David suggested importing each account separately; I was
>> suggesting importing all at once. In my (admittedly ancient) experience, I
>> worked to get the Quicken data just so, and when I imported everything, I
>> had little to no duplicates.
>>
>> David (T.)
>>
>> On Oct 7, 2017, at 7:17 PM, Frankie Raney > [mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]> wrote:
>>
>> You are right as to what is being done When I import, it sees the
>> duplicates, but there are hundredsit would take forever to Mark
>> themI do not know how to export just one account at a timeI could
>> try to figure it out and try that way I guess.
>>
>> On Oct 6, 2017 8:34 PM, "D" > sunfis...@yahoo.com]> wrote:

Re: importing

[David Carlson]

Frank,

Sorry to hear about that misfortune.

Theoretically you you can use file > replay log and that may get you close
to where it was before it crashed, but in your case that may not be your
best choice.

I suggest writing up your experiences so far to learning about some of the
mistakes that Gnucash is not very good at protecting users from making.

That said, you can establish procedures to avoid those mistakes, and I
think that if you do that and continue with Gnucash it can probably meet
your needs.

You have now learned that you should save your d ata file often, perhaps
every five minutes.

When learning how the import process works, it is wise to start with baby
steps, perhaps starting over several times when you are not getting the
desired results.

As David T suggested, you may find it helpful to make changes to your
Quicken data before exporting to QIF.

Good luck.

David C

On Oct 8, 2017 8:27 PM, "frank raney"  wrote:

Just finished 6 hours correcting all the data i imported and before I could
save it, the program crashed. All I have is the unchanged imported data
fileWhen it crashed, the file was lost but there is a log
file..what it is I don't know.  Guess I have to start all over?

*Frankie Raney*
*12454 Auberry Rd.
*
*Clovis, Ca
.*
*559.297.8577 <(559)%20297-8577> H*
*559.304.1751 <(559)%20304-1751> C*

On 10/7/2017 7:15:37 PM, David Carlson  wrote:
Frank,

I did not mean to imply that it worked better then, but it may have worked
differently in older releases.  In any case, if you went that far back,
there are some file compatibility issues to be concerned with.  I do recall
being irritated with the fact that the QIF importer failed to import memos
in split transactions, and I think that has been fixed.

The main thing is that neither David T nor I recall having a significant
problem avoiding the potential duplicate transactions that could arise if
the user does not know the best procedure (as you have seen).

David C

On Sat, Oct 7, 2017 at 6:55 PM, frank raney  wrote:

>
>
> *Frankie Raney*
> *If it worked good in 2.2, then maybe I can get that version, try it and
> if it works good, then upgrade.*
>
> On 10/7/2017 4:45:51 PM, David Carlson 
> wrote:
> Frank and David T,
>
> I believe that the QIF importer may not work exactly the same way that it
> did back in the 2.2 series or the 2.4 series  or even the 2.6 series before
> release 2.6.18.
>
> If that is the c as e  then we really do need someone who is familiar
> with the way it works now to jump in and help.
>
> David C
>
> On Oct 7, 2017 3:18 PM, "frank raney"  wrote:
>
> I did import all at once..don't know yet how to export individual
> accounts from Quicken..
>
>
> Frankie Raney
>
> On 10/7/2017 7:46:05 AM, David T.  wrote:
> Frank,
>
> The *other* David suggested importing each account separately; I was
> suggesting importing all at once. In my (admittedly ancient) experience, I
> worked to get the Quicken data just so, and when I imported everything, I
> had little to no duplicates.
>
> David (T.)
>
> On Oct 7, 2017, at 7:17 PM, Frankie Raney  [mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]> wrote:
>
> You are right as to what is being done When I import, it sees the
> duplicates, but there are hundredsit would take forever to Mark
> themI do not know how to export just one account at a timeI could
> try to figure it out and try that way I guess.
>
> On Oct 6, 2017 8:34 PM, "D"  sunfis...@yahoo.com]> wrote:
>
> Frank,
> Like the other David, on the other thread, it has been a while since I
> imported from Quicken. When I did, I was able to bring in everything in one
> huge pass. Gnucash properly created the many accounts and captured most of
> the transfers as well.
> Are you exporting each account from Quicken separately? It sounds as if
> you are getting both sides of your transactions, i.e., the transfer payment
> from checking to your credit card is being processed once for the checking
> and once for the credit card. If this is what is happening for you, then
> there are two solutions: either match the second version to the first
> during the import process, or don't import the second transaction.
> I seem to recall that I didn't have to do much manual massage to my large
> quicken file when I imported way back when, so I believe that exporting the
> whole file (accounts, categories and transactions for it all) will catch
> those duplications. But I've been known to be wrong before.
> David T.
> On October 7, 2017, at 6:24 AM, frank raney  [mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]> wrote:
> >I thought I had the importing figured out, but no...
> >I exported my quicken data to qif format.  When I import it into GC I get
> a lot of double entries.  Quicken uses catagories, GC uses accounts... How
> do I import my cash accounts without getting 

Re: importing

[frank raney]

Just finished 6 hours correcting all the data i imported and before I could 
save it, the program crashed. All I have is the unchanged imported data 
fileWhen it crashed, the file was lost but there is a log 
file..what it is I don't know.  Guess I have to start all over?


Frankie Raney
12454 Auberry Rd.
Clovis, Ca.
559.297.8577 H
559.304.1751 C
On 10/7/2017 7:15:37 PM, David Carlson  wrote:
Frank,


I did not mean to imply that it worked better then, but it may have worked 
differently in older releases.  In any case, if you went that far back, there 
are some file compatibility issues to be concerned with.  I do recall being 
irritated with the fact that the QIF importer failed to import memos in split 
transactions, and I think that has been fixed.


The main thing is that neither David T nor I recall having a significant 
problem avoiding the potential duplicate transactions that could arise if the 
user does not know the best procedure (as you have seen).


David C


On Sat, Oct 7, 2017 at 6:55 PM, frank raney mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]> wrote:



Frankie Raney
If it worked good in 2.2, then maybe I can get that version, try it and if it 
works good, then upgrade.
On 10/7/2017 4:45:51 PM, David Carlson mailto:david.carlson@gmail.com]> wrote:
Frank and David T,

I believe that the QIF importer may not work exactly the same way that it did 
back in the 2.2 series or the 2.4 series  or even the 2.6 series before release 
2.6.18.

If that is the c as e  then we really do need someone who is familiar with the 
way it works now to jump in and help.

David C 

On Oct 7, 2017 3:18 PM, "frank raney" mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]> wrote:

I did import all at once..don't know yet how to export individual accounts 
from Quicken..


Frankie Raney


On 10/7/2017 7:46:05 AM, David T. mailto:sunfis...@yahoo.com]> wrote:
Frank,

The *other* David suggested importing each account separately; I was suggesting 
importing all at once. In my (admittedly ancient) experience, I worked to get 
the Quicken data just so, and when I imported everything, I had little to no 
duplicates.

David (T.)


On Oct 7, 2017, at 7:17 PM, Frankie Raney mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com] [mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com 
[mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]]> wrote:

You are right as to what is being done When I import, it sees the 
duplicates, but there are hundredsit would take forever to Mark themI 
do not know how to export just one account at a timeI could try to figure 
it out and try that way I guess.

On Oct 6, 2017 8:34 PM, "D" mailto:sunfis...@yahoo.com] 
[mailto:sunfis...@yahoo.com [mailto:sunfis...@yahoo.com]]> wrote:

Frank,
Like the other David, on the other thread, it has been a while since I imported 
from Quicken. When I did, I was able to bring in everything in one huge pass. 
Gnucash properly created the many accounts and captured most of the transfers 
as well.
Are you exporting each account from Quicken separately? It sounds as if you are 
getting both sides of your transactions, i.e., the transfer payment from 
checking to your credit card is being processed once for the checking and once 
for the credit card. If this is what is happening for you, then there are two 
solutions: either match the second version to the first during the import 
process, or don't import the second transaction.
I seem to recall that I didn't have to do much manual massage to my large 
quicken file when I imported way back when, so I believe that exporting the 
whole file (accounts, categories and transactions for it all) will catch those 
duplications. But I've been known to be wrong before.
David T.
On October 7, 2017, at 6:24 AM, frank raney mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com] [mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com 
[mailto:frankraney...@gmail.com]]> wrote:
>I thought I had the importing figured out, but no...
>I exported my quicken data to qif format.  When I import it into GC I get a 
>lot of double entries.  Quicken uses catagories, GC uses accounts... How do I 
>import my cash accounts without getting all the duplicates.
>My checking account imports as do all my categories to the same accounts in 
>GC.  I am given a list of possible duplicates, but it will take days to go 
>through this.  Isn't there a way import without sorting through the list?  If 
>I do not go through the list (just import everything as is, I end up with 
>every account with double entries, double money.  
>I am trying to get away from quicken because of all the troubles they are 
>having, but now I wonder if it is worth it.  I am always for programs like GC, 
>but sometimes they are very cumbersome, like this appears to be.  What am I 
>missing?
>Frankie Raney

>12454 Auberry Rd 
>[https://maps.google.com/?q=12454+Auberry+Rd&entry=gmail&source=g]. 
>[https://maps.google.com/?q=12454+Auberry+Rd.+%3EClovis,+Ca&entry=gmail&source=g
> 
>[https://maps.google.com/?q=12454+Auberry+Rd.+%3EClovis,+Ca&entry=gmail&source=g]]
[ht

Re: budget with ytd difference option and ?improved? readability

[Fred Bone]

On 7 October 2017 at 9:28, Steve said:

> Fred Bone wrote
> > Perhaps it's objecting to the MS-DOS-style line endings, that Notepad
> > will have helpfully put there for you?
> > 
> > If you put a file there with one line containing just a semicolon and it
> > still won't run, then that's the problem.
> 
> Thanks, Fred. The file that's causing the problem is the
> "stylesheet-budget-plus.scm" file. When it's in the target directory,
> GnuCash will not run; when I remove it, it will. I've played with removing
> the ";;" lines in that file, with no success. Have tried re-creating the
> file a couple of times, to make sure I didn't make an error in the copy,
> etc. But appreciate the help.

Try creating it with a more suitable editor, one that doesn't force MSDOS 
line endings. They are what causes the problem.


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