# csv format This doc is for version **1.4**. - toc ## NAME CSV - how hledger reads CSV data, and the CSV rules file format ## DESCRIPTION hledger can read [CSV](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values) files, converting each CSV record into a journal entry (transaction), if you provide some conversion hints in a "rules file". This file should be named like the CSV file with an additional `.rules` suffix (eg: `mybank.csv.rules`); or, you can specify the file with `--rules-file PATH`. hledger will create it if necessary, with some default rules which you'll need to adjust. At minimum, the rules file must specify the `date` and `amount` fields. For an example, see [Cookbook: convert CSV files](csv-import.html). To learn about *exporting* CSV, see [CSV output](hledger.html#csv-output). ## 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. ### skip `skip`*`N`* Skip this number of CSV records at the beginning. You'll need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines. Eg: ``` {.rules} # ignore the first CSV line skip 1 ``` ### 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](http://hackage.haskell.org/packages/archive/time/latest/doc/html/Data-Time-Format.html#v:formatTime), which must parse the date field values completely. Examples: ``` {.rules .display-table} # for dates like "6/11/2013": date-format %-d/%-m/%Y ``` ``` {.rules .display-table} # for dates like "11/06/2013": date-format %m/%d/%Y ``` ``` {.rules .display-table} # for dates like "2013-Nov-06": date-format %Y-%h-%d ``` ``` {.rules .display-table} # for dates like "11/6/2013 11:32 PM": date-format %-m/%-d/%Y %l:%M %p ``` ### 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: ``` {.rules} # 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 ``` ### 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: ``` {.rules .display-table} # set the amount to the 4th CSV field with "USD " prepended amount USD %4 ``` ``` {.rules .display-table} # 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. ### 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: ``` {.rules .display-table} # if the CSV record contains "groceries", set account2 to "expenses:groceries" if groceries account2 expenses:groceries ``` ``` {.rules .display-table} # 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 ``` ### 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} # rules reused with several CSV files include common.rules ``` ### 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. ## CSV TIPS ### CSV ordering The generated [journal entries](/journal.html#transactions) 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`](#newest-first), see above). ### CSV accounts Each journal entry will have two [postings](/journal.html#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. ### CSV amounts The `amount` field sets the [amount](/journal.html#amounts) 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](#field-assignment) to `amount` that interpolates both CSV fields (giving more control, eg to put the currency symbol on the right). ### 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](/journal.html#balance-assertions) as the balance after the `account1` posting. ### 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.