335 lines
		
	
	
		
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			335 lines
		
	
	
		
			9.1 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Groff
		
	
	
	
	
	
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.TH "hledger_csv" "5" "December 2018" "hledger 1.12" "hledger User Manuals"
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.SH NAME
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.PP
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CSV \- how hledger reads CSV data, and the CSV rules file format
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.SH DESCRIPTION
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.PP
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hledger can read CSV (comma\-separated value) files as if they were
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journal files, automatically converting each CSV record into a
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transaction.
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(To learn about \f[I]writing\f[] CSV, see CSV output.)
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.PP
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Converting CSV to transactions requires some special conversion rules.
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These do several things:
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.IP \[bu] 2
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they describe the layout and format of the CSV data
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.IP \[bu] 2
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they can customize the generated journal entries using a simple
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templating language
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.IP \[bu] 2
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they can add refinements based on patterns in the CSV data, eg
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categorizing transactions with more detailed account names.
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.PP
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When reading a CSV file named \f[C]FILE.csv\f[], hledger looks for a
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conversion rules file named \f[C]FILE.csv.rules\f[] in the same
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directory.
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You can override this with the \f[C]\-\-rules\-file\f[] option.
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If the rules file does not exist, hledger will auto\-create one with
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some example rules, which you'll need to adjust.
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.PP
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At minimum, the rules file must identify the \f[C]date\f[] and
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\f[C]amount\f[] fields.
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It may also be necessary to specify the date format, and the number of
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header lines to skip.
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Eg:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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fields\ date,\ _,\ _,\ amount
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date\-format\ \ %d/%m/%Y
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skip\ 1
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\f[]
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.fi
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.PP
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A more complete example:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ hledger\ CSV\ rules\ for\ amazon.com\ order\ history
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#\ sample:
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#\ "Date","Type","To/From","Name","Status","Amount","Fees","Transaction\ ID"
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#\ "Jul\ 29,\ 2012","Payment","To","Adapteva,\ Inc.","Completed","$25.00","$0.00","17LA58JSK6PRD4HDGLNJQPI1PB9N8DKPVHL"
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#\ skip\ one\ header\ line
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skip\ 1
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#\ name\ the\ csv\ fields\ (and\ assign\ the\ transaction\[aq]s\ date,\ amount\ and\ code)
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fields\ date,\ _,\ toorfrom,\ name,\ amzstatus,\ amount,\ fees,\ code
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#\ how\ to\ parse\ the\ date
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date\-format\ %b\ %\-d,\ %Y
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#\ combine\ two\ fields\ to\ make\ the\ description
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description\ %toorfrom\ %name
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#\ save\ these\ fields\ as\ tags
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comment\ \ \ \ \ status:%amzstatus,\ fees:%fees
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#\ set\ the\ base\ account\ for\ all\ transactions
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account1\ \ \ \ assets:amazon
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#\ flip\ the\ sign\ on\ the\ amount
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amount\ \ \ \ \ \ \-%amount
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\f[]
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.fi
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.PP
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For more examples, see Convert CSV files.
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.SH CSV RULES
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.PP
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The following seven kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any
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order.
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Blank lines and lines beginning with \f[C]#\f[] or \f[C];\f[] are
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ignored.
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.SS skip
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.PP
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\f[C]skip\f[]\f[I]\f[CI]N\f[I]\f[]
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.PP
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Skip this number of CSV records at the beginning.
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You'll need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines.
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Eg:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ ignore\ the\ first\ CSV\ line
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skip\ 1
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\f[]
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.fi
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.SS date\-format
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.PP
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\f[C]date\-format\f[]\f[I]\f[CI]DATEFMT\f[I]\f[]
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.PP
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When your CSV date fields are not formatted like \f[C]YYYY/MM/DD\f[] (or
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\f[C]YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[] or \f[C]YYYY.MM.DD\f[]), you'll need to specify
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the format.
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DATEFMT is a strptime\-like date parsing pattern, which must parse the
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date field values completely.
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Examples:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ for\ dates\ like\ "6/11/2013":
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date\-format\ %\-d/%\-m/%Y
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\f[]
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.fi
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ for\ dates\ like\ "11/06/2013":
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date\-format\ %m/%d/%Y
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\f[]
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.fi
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ for\ dates\ like\ "2013\-Nov\-06":
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date\-format\ %Y\-%h\-%d
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\f[]
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.fi
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ for\ dates\ like\ "11/6/2013\ 11:32\ PM":
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date\-format\ %\-m/%\-d/%Y\ %l:%M\ %p
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\f[]
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.fi
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.SS field list
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.PP
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\f[C]fields\f[]\f[I]\f[CI]FIELDNAME1\f[I]\f[],
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\f[I]\f[CI]FIELDNAME2\f[I]\f[]\&...
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.PP
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This (a) names the CSV fields, in order (names may not contain
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whitespace; uninteresting names may be left blank), and (b) assigns them
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to journal entry fields if you use any of these standard field names:
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\f[C]date\f[], \f[C]date2\f[], \f[C]status\f[], \f[C]code\f[],
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\f[C]description\f[], \f[C]comment\f[], \f[C]account1\f[],
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\f[C]account2\f[], \f[C]amount\f[], \f[C]amount\-in\f[],
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\f[C]amount\-out\f[], \f[C]currency\f[], \f[C]balance\f[].
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Eg:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ use\ the\ 1st,\ 2nd\ and\ 4th\ CSV\ fields\ as\ the\ entry\[aq]s\ date,\ description\ and\ amount,
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#\ and\ give\ the\ 7th\ and\ 8th\ fields\ meaningful\ names\ for\ later\ reference:
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#
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#\ CSV\ field:
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#\ \ \ \ \ \ 1\ \ \ \ \ 2\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 3\ 4\ \ \ \ \ \ \ 5\ 6\ 7\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 8
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#\ entry\ field:
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fields\ date,\ description,\ ,\ amount,\ ,\ ,\ somefield,\ anotherfield
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\f[]
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.fi
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.SS field assignment
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.PP
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\f[I]\f[CI]ENTRYFIELDNAME\f[I]\f[] \f[I]\f[CI]FIELDVALUE\f[I]\f[]
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.PP
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This sets a journal entry field (one of the standard names above) to the
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given text value, which can include CSV field values interpolated by
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name (\f[C]%CSVFIELDNAME\f[]) or 1\-based position (\f[C]%N\f[]).
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 Eg:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ set\ the\ amount\ to\ the\ 4th\ CSV\ field\ with\ "USD\ "\ prepended
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amount\ USD\ %4
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\f[]
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.fi
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ combine\ three\ fields\ to\ make\ a\ comment\ (containing\ two\ tags)
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comment\ note:\ %somefield\ \-\ %anotherfield,\ date:\ %1
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\f[]
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.fi
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.PP
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Field assignments can be used instead of or in addition to a field list.
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.SS conditional block
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.PP
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\f[C]if\f[] \f[I]\f[CI]PATTERN\f[I]\f[]
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.PD 0
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.P
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.PD
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\ \ \ \ \f[I]\f[CI]FIELDASSIGNMENTS\f[I]\f[]\&...
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.PP
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\f[C]if\f[]
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.PD 0
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.P
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.PD
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\f[I]\f[CI]PATTERN\f[I]\f[]
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.PD 0
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.P
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.PD
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\f[I]\f[CI]PATTERN\f[I]\f[]\&...
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.PD 0
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.P
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.PD
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\ \ \ \ \f[I]\f[CI]FIELDASSIGNMENTS\f[I]\f[]\&...
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.PP
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This applies one or more field assignments, only to those CSV records
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matched by one of the PATTERNs.
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The patterns are case\-insensitive regular expressions which match
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anywhere within the whole CSV record (it's not yet possible to match
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within a specific field).
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When there are multiple patterns they can be written on separate lines,
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unindented.
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The field assignments are on separate lines indented by at least one
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space.
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Examples:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ if\ the\ CSV\ record\ contains\ "groceries",\ set\ account2\ to\ "expenses:groceries"
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if\ groceries
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\ account2\ expenses:groceries
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\f[]
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.fi
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ if\ the\ CSV\ record\ contains\ any\ of\ these\ patterns,\ set\ account2\ and\ comment\ as\ shown
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if
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monthly\ service\ fee
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atm\ transaction\ fee
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banking\ thru\ software
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\ account2\ expenses:business:banking
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\ comment\ \ XXX\ deductible\ ?\ check\ it
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\f[]
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.fi
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.SS include
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.PP
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\f[C]include\f[]\f[I]\f[CI]RULESFILE\f[I]\f[]
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.PP
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Include another rules file at this point.
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\f[C]RULESFILE\f[] is either an absolute file path or a path relative to
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the current file's directory.
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Eg:
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.IP
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.nf
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\f[C]
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#\ rules\ reused\ with\ several\ CSV\ files
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include\ common.rules
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\f[]
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.fi
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.SS newest\-first
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.PP
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\f[C]newest\-first\f[]
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.PP
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Consider adding this rule if all of the following are true: you might be
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processing just one day of data, your CSV records are in reverse
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chronological order (newest first), and you care about preserving the
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order of same\-day transactions.
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It usually isn't needed, because hledger autodetects the CSV order, but
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when all CSV records have the same date it will assume they are oldest
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first.
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.SH CSV TIPS
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.SS CSV ordering
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.PP
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The generated journal entries will be sorted by date.
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The order of same\-day entries will be preserved (except in the special
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case where you might need \f[C]newest\-first\f[], see above).
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.SS CSV accounts
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.PP
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Each journal entry will have two postings, to \f[C]account1\f[] and
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\f[C]account2\f[] respectively.
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It's not yet possible to generate entries with more than two postings.
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It's conventional and recommended to use \f[C]account1\f[] for the
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account whose CSV we are reading.
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.SS CSV amounts
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.PP
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The \f[C]amount\f[] field sets the amount of the \f[C]account1\f[]
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posting.
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.PP
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If the CSV has debit/credit amounts in separate fields, assign to the
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\f[C]amount\-in\f[] and \f[C]amount\-out\f[] pseudo fields instead.
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(Whichever one has a value will be used, with appropriate sign.
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If both contain a value, it may not work so well.)
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.PP
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If an amount value is parenthesised, it will be de\-parenthesised and
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sign\-flipped.
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.PP
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If an amount value begins with a double minus sign, those will cancel
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out and be removed.
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.PP
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If the CSV has the currency symbol in a separate field, assign that to
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the \f[C]currency\f[] pseudo field to have it prepended to the amount.
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Or, you can use a field assignment to \f[C]amount\f[] that interpolates
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both CSV fields (giving more control, eg to put the currency symbol on
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the right).
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.SS CSV balance assertions
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.PP
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If the CSV includes a running balance, you can assign that to the
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\f[C]balance\f[] pseudo field; whenever the running balance value is
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non\-empty, it will be asserted as the balance after the
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\f[C]account1\f[] posting.
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.SS Reading multiple CSV files
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.PP
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You can read multiple CSV files at once using multiple \f[C]\-f\f[]
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arguments on the command line, and hledger will look for a
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correspondingly\-named rules file for each.
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Note if you use the \f[C]\-\-rules\-file\f[] option, this one rules file
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will be used for all the CSV files being read.
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.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
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Report bugs at http://bugs.hledger.org
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(or on the #hledger IRC channel or hledger mail list)
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.SH AUTHORS
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Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors
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.SH COPYRIGHT
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Copyright (C) 2007-2016 Simon Michael.
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.br
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Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.
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.SH SEE ALSO
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hledger(1), hledger\-ui(1), hledger\-web(1), hledger\-api(1),
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hledger_csv(5), hledger_journal(5), hledger_timeclock(5), hledger_timedot(5),
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ledger(1)
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http://hledger.org
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