Using Additional Keys in Generic Importing

[ThomasK]

Hi Mark,

Background: I'm learning how to use Generic Import, Additional Keys to create a New Investment during the import. Also, I let Fund Manager specify the .Dat file as Symbol_Account.dat

Q1. I don't want to specify anything that I can simply update in FM once the new investment has been created via generic import. Just to be comfortable, anything that I change in the Properties (Currency, Sector, accounting method)...nothing that can't be changed later on without messing anything up, yes?

Q2. For a new investment, is there anything that MUST be imported beyond the following string -- ie something that in Q1 above you'd say "No" to? Said differently, would not "IACCT" really be the only additional key I really need to code?
>> here's the string I would use:
IACCT, ED, TRAN, SYMB, ANUM, BNUM, CNUM

Q3. What happens if I try to import a string with IACCT but in fact fact the investment was already in place? Does generic import simply create a duplicate that I later have to merge with the existing investment?

Q4. If I don't specify a NAME, what does FM do?

Thanks,
ThomasK

[Mark]

Hi ThomasK,

The only required field is the symbol. Any of the other investment properties are only applied if the investment is created new. Existing investments will not be changed from their current properties. You can update anything in FM after the import.

Q1) You can update anything after the import. I'm not sure I followed this question...

Q2) The only required investment property is the symbol (SYMB). You don't need IACCT. Notice, IACCT is different than ACCT. One is an investment property (rarely utilized), and the other is the sub-portfolio property (often utilized). Also, you have spaces in your format string. You don't want those, unless your importing file also has spaces. Typically a CSV file doesn't have spaces as part of the delimiter.

Q3) The value for IACCT will be ignored. Only when a new investment is created are these additional properties used.

Q4) It will use the symbol for the name.

[ThomasK]

Awesome, thanks again Mark.

Yes, I was just nervous about when FM would create something new. Again I find myself saying, "just trust the program!".

Thanks,
ThomasK

[ThomasK]

Hi Mark,

Okay, tweaking/learning the Generic Import.

Question: Why did Generic Import miss 2 lines out of 3? See the attachment. What WAS imported was the 1,100 shares with commission.

Import line was of course: ACCT,ED,TRANS,BNUM,SYMB,ANUM,CNUM,MEMO

Thanks,
ThomasK

[Mark]

Hi ThomasK,

CNUM cannot be empty. You can set it to 0 for a BUY if there is no commission, but it can't be blank. Also, you should only have numbers here, so instead of 9.99 CAD just make it 9.99. The currency is set as a property of the investment, and all transactions are imported in the native/assigned currency.

[ThomasK]

Great, thanks Mark. And I truly appreciate your prompt replies!!

AH, I see now the CAD issue...my bad. Easy fix. I'll put in "0" and upload.

FYI the " CAD" had no ill effect...imported fine! It was the blank fields. Ugh, Ishoulddaseenit.

I'm going to reimport...wow, the "Skip Transactions Already in Fund Manager Investment" really works well, it allows me the option to ignore the skip also to see what's what.

Question: IFF I was clicked on a random SubPortfolio when I did my transactions generic import that included the ACCT account number, what would happen?

ThomasK

[Mark]

Hi ThomasK,

If you specify ACCT, this overrides any selection you make on the import dialog. It will import into whatever sub-portfolio it finds with a matching account number. This is from the online help:

Import Destination
Choose which portfolio to import transactions into. If your "Input Format" includes the ACCT or PORT keys this selection is ignored.

ACCT
sub-portfolio account number
Use the ACCT key to control which sub-portfolio the associated transaction will be imported into. The ACCT key is optional, and when used will override the destination portfolio selection on the import dialog. This field will be used to to match or create a new sub-portfolio by account number.

Both the PORT and ACCT keys can be specified, in which case the ACCT key takes priority (transaction matching will be done based on sub-portfolio account number and not sub-portfolio name).

[ThomasK]

Ah, and then it is my understanding that IFF I'm creating a new investment (one that I know is New) THEN I would use the IACCT additional key in the generic import, yes?

[Mark]

Hi ThomasK,

You really never need IACCT. That sets the investment property for account number, which really isn't used anywhere. If you have a new investment, set ACCT and SYMB, and as long as there is no existing investment in the sub-portfolio with that account number with the specified symbol, a new investment will be created.

[ThomasK]

Thanks Mark.

I imported a new cvs using the same string but with ",CURRENCY" on the end as there were Canadian and US stocks. I checked the help file and put the symbols for the currencies that I've been using. I use "$" for USD and "cents" symbol (I cannot make the symbol here) as I could insert in Excel. I had already created the Accounts and that was in the string. Fundmanager imported without warnings.

Most stocks were new and FM had to also create the cash accounts. When I reviewed, however, ALL stocks including ALL Cash accounts were set to the default "cents".

Question 1 - Should I have created the Cash Accounts prior to the import?
Question 2 - How else could I have done this so I didn't have to manually set the currency?

Almost there!

Thanks, Thomas

[Mark]

Hi Thomas,

If you use the CURRENCY key in your generic import string, make sure the values in your CSV file match exactly the symbol you have under "Options / Currency Settings...". This only applies to new investments. Existing investments will not have their currency modified. If you get prompted for a new default cash account, and you choose to create a new one, that will use your default currency. If you picked it from the list, then it would be created with the currency you specified in the transaction that created that cash investment.

[ThomasK]

Hmmmm, what about when we cannot insert the cents symbol via the keyboard but instead are forced to do it with an ALT code? Perhaps it actually was the "$" that I used from within Excel?

What "are" the codes Fund Manager uses? I found the website: http://www.alt-codes.net/currency-symbols and pasted a picture.

Thanks,
Thomas

[Mark]

Hi Thomas,

Fund Manager doesn't use any specific codes for currency symbols. You set these under "Options / Currency Settings...". Fund Manager only understands ASCII characters, so you can't try to enter a Unicode character. Whatever ascii character string you enter for the currency symbol under "Options / Currency Settings..." is the same ascii character string you would enter in your importing file for the CURRENCY.

If your ALT code is 255 or less, this may be okay, and would be an ASCII character. The regular displayable ASCII characters are from 32 to 127. From 128 to 255 are extended ASCII characters, and the symbol displayed can vary by selected font. Until you get it working I'd suggest just sticking with a few plain ascii characters you can type without the Alt key method. You can do all your importing with a currency symbol like "cents" and then change it later, once you are done importing. If you plan to continue importing then this wouldn't work, but you can at least try to get it working first, without the complication of using extended ascii characters. Unicode characters will not work at all.

[ThomasK]

Thanks Mark.

So I understand this a bit more, how did you create the British Pound symbol? It is outside of even the extended ASCII at least according to the Wikipedia info whereas the 'cents' symbol is as you said, in the extended set. Ha ha, I even forget if the cents symbol I'm using was part of the FM default or if I created it. Hmmm...

As I want the currency symbols for CAD and USD to be just 1 displayed character this sounds best to revert to "C" as in the tutorial if need be.

[Mark]

Hi Thomas,

The British Pound symbol (£) is created with Alt 156. It is in the extended ASCII range. The cents symbol isn't in our default settings for currencies.