This is hledger_csv.info, produced by makeinfo version 6.5 from stdin.


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: Top,  Next: CSV RULES,  Up: (dir)

hledger_csv(5) hledger 1.9.99
*****************************

hledger can read CSV (comma-separated value) files as if they were
journal files, automatically converting each CSV record into a
transaction.  (To learn about _writing_ CSV, see CSV output.)

   Converting CSV to transactions requires some special conversion
rules.  These do several things:

   * they describe the layout and format of the CSV data
   * they can customize the generated journal entries using a simple
     templating language
   * they can add refinements based on patterns in the CSV data, eg
     categorizing transactions with more detailed account names.

   When reading a CSV file named 'FILE.csv', hledger looks for a
conversion rules file named 'FILE.csv.rules' in the same directory.  You
can override this with the '--rules-file' option.  If the rules file
does not exist, hledger will auto-create one with some example rules,
which you'll need to adjust.

   At minimum, the rules file must identify the 'date' and 'amount'
fields.  It may also be necessary to specify the date format, and the
number of header lines to skip.  Eg:

fields date, _, _, amount
date-format  %d/%m/%Y
skip 1

   A more complete example:

# hledger CSV rules for amazon.com order history

# sample:
# "Date","Type","To/From","Name","Status","Amount","Fees","Transaction ID"
# "Jul 29, 2012","Payment","To","Adapteva, Inc.","Completed","$25.00","$0.00","17LA58JSK6PRD4HDGLNJQPI1PB9N8DKPVHL"

# skip one header line
skip 1

# name the csv fields (and assign the transaction's date, amount and code)
fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amount, fees, code

# how to parse the date
date-format %b %-d, %Y

# combine two fields to make the description
description %toorfrom %name

# save these fields as tags
comment     status:%amzstatus, fees:%fees

# set the base account for all transactions
account1    assets:amazon

# flip the sign on the amount
amount      -%amount

   For more examples, see Convert CSV files.
* Menu:

* CSV RULES::
* CSV TIPS::


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: CSV RULES,  Next: CSV TIPS,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

1 CSV RULES
***********

The following seven kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any
order.  Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' or ';' are ignored.
* Menu:

* skip::
* date-format::
* field list::
* field assignment::
* conditional block::
* include::
* newest-first::


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: skip,  Next: date-format,  Up: CSV RULES

1.1 skip
========

'skip'_'N'_

   Skip this number of CSV records at the beginning.  You'll need this
whenever your CSV data contains header lines.  Eg:

# ignore the first CSV line
skip 1


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: date-format,  Next: field list,  Prev: skip,  Up: CSV RULES

1.2 date-format
===============

'date-format'_'DATEFMT'_

   When your CSV date fields are not formatted like 'YYYY/MM/DD' (or
'YYYY-MM-DD' or 'YYYY.MM.DD'), you'll need to specify the format.
DATEFMT is a strptime-like date parsing pattern, which must parse the
date field values completely.  Examples:

# for dates like "6/11/2013":
date-format %-d/%-m/%Y

# for dates like "11/06/2013":
date-format %m/%d/%Y

# for dates like "2013-Nov-06":
date-format %Y-%h-%d

# for dates like "11/6/2013 11:32 PM":
date-format %-m/%-d/%Y %l:%M %p


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: field list,  Next: field assignment,  Prev: date-format,  Up: CSV RULES

1.3 field list
==============

'fields'_'FIELDNAME1'_, _'FIELDNAME2'_...

   This (a) names the CSV fields, in order (names may not contain
whitespace; uninteresting names may be left blank), and (b) assigns them
to journal entry fields if you use any of these standard field names:
'date', 'date2', 'status', 'code', 'description', 'comment', 'account1',
'account2', 'amount', 'amount-in', 'amount-out', 'currency', 'balance'.
Eg:

# use the 1st, 2nd and 4th CSV fields as the entry's date, description and amount,
# and give the 7th and 8th fields meaningful names for later reference:
#
# CSV field:
#      1     2            3 4       5 6 7          8
# entry field:
fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: field assignment,  Next: conditional block,  Prev: field list,  Up: CSV RULES

1.4 field assignment
====================

_'ENTRYFIELDNAME'_ _'FIELDVALUE'_

   This sets a journal entry field (one of the standard names above) to
the given text value, which can include CSV field values interpolated by
name ('%CSVFIELDNAME') or 1-based position ('%N').  Eg:

# set the amount to the 4th CSV field with "USD " prepended
amount USD %4

# combine three fields to make a comment (containing two tags)
comment note: %somefield - %anotherfield, date: %1

   Field assignments can be used instead of or in addition to a field
list.


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: conditional block,  Next: include,  Prev: field assignment,  Up: CSV RULES

1.5 conditional block
=====================

'if' _'PATTERN'_
    _'FIELDASSIGNMENTS'_...

   'if'
_'PATTERN'_
_'PATTERN'_...
    _'FIELDASSIGNMENTS'_...

   This applies one or more field assignments, only to those CSV records
matched by one of the PATTERNs.  The patterns are case-insensitive
regular expressions which match anywhere within the whole CSV record
(it's not yet possible to match within a specific field).  When there
are multiple patterns they can be written on separate lines, unindented.
The field assignments are on separate lines indented by at least one
space.  Examples:

# if the CSV record contains "groceries", set account2 to "expenses:groceries"
if groceries
 account2 expenses:groceries

# if the CSV record contains any of these patterns, set account2 and comment as shown
if
monthly service fee
atm transaction fee
banking thru software
 account2 expenses:business:banking
 comment  XXX deductible ? check it


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: include,  Next: newest-first,  Prev: conditional block,  Up: CSV RULES

1.6 include
===========

'include'_'RULESFILE'_

   Include another rules file at this point.  'RULESFILE' is either an
absolute file path or a path relative to the current file's directory.
Eg:

# rules reused with several CSV files
include common.rules


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: newest-first,  Prev: include,  Up: CSV RULES

1.7 newest-first
================

'newest-first'

   Consider adding this rule if all of the following are true: you might
be processing just one day of data, your CSV records are in reverse
chronological order (newest first), and you care about preserving the
order of same-day transactions.  It usually isn't needed, because
hledger autodetects the CSV order, but when all CSV records have the
same date it will assume they are oldest first.


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: CSV TIPS,  Prev: CSV RULES,  Up: Top

2 CSV TIPS
**********

* Menu:

* CSV ordering::
* CSV accounts::
* CSV amounts::
* CSV balance assertions::
* Reading multiple CSV files::


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: CSV ordering,  Next: CSV accounts,  Up: CSV TIPS

2.1 CSV ordering
================

The generated journal entries will be sorted by date.  The order of
same-day entries will be preserved (except in the special case where you
might need 'newest-first', see above).


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: CSV accounts,  Next: CSV amounts,  Prev: CSV ordering,  Up: CSV TIPS

2.2 CSV accounts
================

Each journal entry will have two postings, to 'account1' and 'account2'
respectively.  It's not yet possible to generate entries with more than
two postings.  It's conventional and recommended to use 'account1' for
the account whose CSV we are reading.


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: CSV amounts,  Next: CSV balance assertions,  Prev: CSV accounts,  Up: CSV TIPS

2.3 CSV amounts
===============

The 'amount' field sets the amount of the 'account1' posting.

   If the CSV has debit/credit amounts in separate fields, assign to the
'amount-in' and 'amount-out' pseudo fields instead.  (Whichever one has
a value will be used, with appropriate sign.  If both contain a value,
it may not work so well.)

   If an amount value is parenthesised, it will be de-parenthesised and
sign-flipped.

   If an amount value begins with a double minus sign, those will cancel
out and be removed.

   If the CSV has the currency symbol in a separate field, assign that
to the 'currency' pseudo field to have it prepended to the amount.  Or,
you can use a field assignment to 'amount' that interpolates both CSV
fields (giving more control, eg to put the currency symbol on the
right).


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: CSV balance assertions,  Next: Reading multiple CSV files,  Prev: CSV amounts,  Up: CSV TIPS

2.4 CSV balance assertions
==========================

If the CSV includes a running balance, you can assign that to the
'balance' pseudo field; whenever the running balance value is non-empty,
it will be asserted as the balance after the 'account1' posting.


File: hledger_csv.info,  Node: Reading multiple CSV files,  Prev: CSV balance assertions,  Up: CSV TIPS

2.5 Reading multiple CSV files
==============================

You can read multiple CSV files at once using multiple '-f' arguments on
the command line, and hledger will look for a correspondingly-named
rules file for each.  Note if you use the '--rules-file' option, this
one rules file will be used for all the CSV files being read.


Tag Table:
Node: Top72
Node: CSV RULES2167
Ref: #csv-rules2275
Node: skip2537
Ref: #skip2631
Node: date-format2803
Ref: #date-format2930
Node: field list3436
Ref: #field-list3573
Node: field assignment4278
Ref: #field-assignment4433
Node: conditional block4937
Ref: #conditional-block5091
Node: include5987
Ref: #include6117
Node: newest-first6348
Ref: #newest-first6462
Node: CSV TIPS6873
Ref: #csv-tips6967
Node: CSV ordering7085
Ref: #csv-ordering7203
Node: CSV accounts7384
Ref: #csv-accounts7522
Node: CSV amounts7776
Ref: #csv-amounts7922
Node: CSV balance assertions8697
Ref: #csv-balance-assertions8879
Node: Reading multiple CSV files9084
Ref: #reading-multiple-csv-files9254

End Tag Table
