[moneydance] QMac->MD: ---X categories?

[Scott Zahn]

On Thu, 4 May 2006, Edward Reid wrote:

> First question: after importing my transactions, I find that for every real
> account (bank, credit card, asset, liability), MD has created an income
> category with the same name with X appended. The new category contains zero
> or one transactions to set up the initial balance in the account. The new
> category is created even when the initial balance is zero.

The "X" categories come from Quicken transaction that double back into the 
account, eg. setting initial balances in accounts.  I had these when I 
migrated from Quicken.  To set up initial balances in each account go to 
each account and in the top menu go to Account -> Edit and enter in the 
Initial Balance for the account, then you can remove the initial balance 
transactions and get rid of the "X" account.

> Why? MD has an "initial balance" attribute on accounts, and it appears to
> recognize Quicken's "opening balance" entry in the QIF, so why the
> complication of the extra category rather than setting that account
> attribute? And why the special category even when the initial balance is zero?

Because internally that's how Quicken stores it.  Moneydance can't tell 
the difference between an opening balance transaction from any other 
transaction that double backs into the same account, so it dutifully 
imports the data as is.  When I switched, I had many transactions like 
these and they weren't just initial balance transactions.  In reality, 
it's Quicken's fault for allowing, and many times requiring, improper 
transactions like those.  Yeah, it's annoying, but you only have to make 
these transactions proper once and then you're set.

hope that helps,
Scott