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docs: move convert docs into general file reading

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MANUAL.md
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@ -113,8 +113,14 @@ enter some transactions. Or, save this
## The journal file
hledger reads data from a plain text file, called a *journal* because it
represents a standard accounting
hledger normally reads data from a plain text file in hledger journal
format. hledger can read some [other file formats](#other-file-formats)
as well, but first we'll discuss hledger's journal format. Note this is
compatible subset of
[c++ ledger's journal format](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Journal-Format),
so hledger can work with many c++ ledger journal files as well.
The journal file is so called because it represents a standard accounting
[general journal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_journal). It
contains a number of transaction entries, each describing a transfer of
money (or any commodity) between two or more named accounts, in a simple
@ -126,6 +132,8 @@ journal file directly with a text editor, perhaps assisted by the helper
modes for emacs or vi. Note the file uses unix line endings on all
platforms.
hledger's file format aims to be [compatible](#file-format-compatibility)
with c++ ledger, so you can use both tools on your journal.
@ -438,111 +446,57 @@ Command-line alias options are applied after any alias directives in the
journal. At most one alias directive and one alias option will be applied
to each account name.
## Commands
## Other file formats
hledger provides a number of subcommands, in the style of git or darcs.
Run `hledger` with no arguments to see a list. Most are built in to the
core hledger package, while [add-on commands](#add-on-commands) will
appear if you install additional hledger-* packages. You can also install
your own subcommands by putting programs or scripts named `hledger-NAME`
in your PATH.
In addition to the usual [journal files](#the-journal-file), hledger can
read [timelog files](#timelog-reporting). hledger 0.18 can also read
[CSV](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values) files natively
(the old `convert` command is no longer needed.)
### Misc commands
An arbitrary CSV file does not provide enough information to be parsed as
a journal. So when reading CSV, hledger first reads an additional file
called the [rules file](#the-rules-file), which identifies the CSV fields
and assigns accounts. For reading `FILE.csv`, hledger uses a rules file in
the same directory called `FILE.rules`, auto-creating it if needed. You
should configure the rules to best match your CSV file. You can specify a
different rules file with `--rules-file` (useful when reading from
standard input).
Here are some miscellaneous commands you might use to get started:
An example - sample.csv:
#### add
sample.csv:
"2012/3/22","TRANSFER TO SAVINGS","-10.00"
"2012/3/23","SOMETHING ELSE","5.50"
The add command prompts interactively for new transactions, and appends
them to the journal file. Each transaction is appended when you complete
it by entering `.` (period) at the account prompt. Enter control-D or
control-C when you are done.
The add command tries to be helpful, providing:
- Sensible defaults
- History awareness: if there are existing transactions approximately
matching the description you enter, they will be displayed and the best
match will provide defaults for the other fields. If you specify
[filter pattern(s)](#filter-patterns) on the command line, only matching
transactions will be considered as history.
- Readline-style input: during data entry, the usual editing keys should
work.
- Auto-completion for account names: while entering account names, the tab
key will auto-complete as far as possible, or list the available
options.
- Default commodity awareness: if the journal has a
[default commodity directive](#default-commodity), that will be applied
to any bare numbers entered.
Examples:
$ hledger add
$ hledger -f home.journal add equity:bob
#### convert
The convert command reads a
[CSV](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values) file - perhaps
downloaded from your bank - and prints out the transactions in date-sorted
hledger journal format. You can copy these into your journal (taking care
to ignore old transactions that you added previously, if any). A temporary
file may be helpful if the output is large. Eg:
$ hledger convert FILE.csv [>temp.journal]
hledger convert looks for conversion hints in a rules file, named
`FILE.rules` by default (or specify it with `--rules-file`). This file
will be auto-created if it does not exist. An empty rules file is valid,
but you'll probably need to add at least a few
[directives](#rules-file-directives) for a useful conversion.
You can also convert standard input by specifying no CSV file, or `-`, in
which case `--rules-file` is required.
An example: here's a trimmed `wf.csv` file, downloaded from a Wells Fargo
checking account:
"07/11/2011","-0.99","*","","CHECK CRD PURCHASE 07/09 APL*ITUNES"
Here's a `wf.rules` file which identifes some fields by their zero-based
position, sets a default account and currency symbol, and declares a
couple of account-assigning rules:
sample.rules:
date-field 0
amount-field 1
description-field 4
description-field 1
amount-field 2
currency $
base-account assets:bank:checking
base-currency $
; the rest of the file is account-assigning rules
; if description contains ITUNES, use transfer account expenses:entertainment
ITUNES
expenses:entertainment
; if description contains TO SAVINGS or FROM SAVINGS, use transfer account assets:bank:savings
(TO|FROM) SAVINGS
SAVINGS
assets:bank:savings
And here's the result:
the resulting journal:
$ hledger convert wf.csv
using conversion rules file wf.rules
2011/07/11 CHECK CRD PURCHASE 07/09 APL*ITUNES
expenses:entertainment $0.99
assets:bank:checking $-0.99
$ hledger -f sample.csv print
using conversion rules file sample.rules
2012/03/22 TRANSFER TO SAVINGS
assets:bank:savings $10.00
assets:bank:checking $-10.00
2012/03/23 SOMETHING ELSE
income:unknown $-5.50
assets:bank:checking $5.50
##### rules file directives
### The rules file
Directives should appear at the beginning of the rules file, before any
account-assigning rules. (Note directive parse errors may not be reported
clearly, so check them for typos if you're getting unexpected results.)
A rules file consists of the following optional directives, followed by
account-assigning rules. (Tip: rules file parse errors are not the
greatest, so check your rules file format if you're getting unexpected
results.)
`account-field`
@ -626,11 +580,9 @@ clearly, so check them for typos if you're getting unexpected results.)
> Which field contains the transaction cleared status (`*`).
##### account-assigning rules
The rest of the file is account-assigning rules, which select a transfer
account based on the transaction's description (unless `account2-field` is
used.) Each of these is a paragraph consisting of one or more
Account-assigning rules select an account to transfer to based on the
description field (unless `account2-field` is used.) Each
account-assigning rule is a paragraph consisting of one or more
case-insensitive regular expressions), one per line, followed by the
account name to use when the transaction's description matches any of
these patterns. Eg:
@ -647,12 +599,56 @@ groups in the usual way with `\0` etc. Eg:
BLKBSTR=BLOCKBUSTER
expenses:entertainment
##### comment lines
Lines beginning with `;` or `#` are ignored - just don't use them in the
middle of an account-assigning rule.
## Commands
hledger provides a number of subcommands, in the style of git or darcs.
Run `hledger` with no arguments to see a list. Most are built in to the
core hledger package, while [add-on commands](#add-on-commands) will
appear if you install additional hledger-* packages. You can also install
your own subcommands by putting programs or scripts named `hledger-NAME`
in your PATH.
### Misc commands
Here are some miscellaneous commands you might use to get started:
#### add
The add command prompts interactively for new transactions, and appends
them to the journal file. Each transaction is appended when you complete
it by entering `.` (period) at the account prompt. Enter control-D or
control-C when you are done.
The add command tries to be helpful, providing:
- Sensible defaults
- History awareness: if there are existing transactions approximately
matching the description you enter, they will be displayed and the best
match will provide defaults for the other fields. If you specify
[filter pattern(s)](#filter-patterns) on the command line, only matching
transactions will be considered as history.
- Readline-style input: during data entry, the usual editing keys should
work.
- Auto-completion for account names: while entering account names, the tab
key will auto-complete as far as possible, or list the available
options.
- Default commodity awareness: if the journal has a
[default commodity directive](#default-commodity), that will be applied
to any bare numbers entered.
Examples:
$ hledger add
$ hledger -f home.journal add equity:bob
#### test
This command runs hledger's internal self-tests and displays a quick