GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 745896
Bayes Import Map does not use GUID but account name, leading to outdated entries.
Last modified: 2018-06-29 23:39:15 UTC
The Bayes import map stores the accounts by name, not by GUID. If an account is deleted or renamed, this is not reflected in the import map. This in turn leads to dead wood in the map (these entries are just outdated and should never be used again), but also to 'false positives', that is, Bayes indicating a good fit, but the resulting account doesn't exist. If the now non-existing account has a high weight in the various tokens, this can shadow the proper newer account, resulting in bad fit for otherwise simply recognisable import transactions.
This is also a problem for me. I used GnuCash and OFX Import for a couple of years, with a first-version Expenses and Income account tree. Then I improved the structure of the account tree, by moving accounts to different parents and changing their names. I usually didn't change the meaning or purpose of the account, though sometimes I did. Then I used OFX Import some more. The result is that OFX Import can't figure out the right account even common transactions. Workaround: Read the wiki page http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Bayes . It includes a Perl script which can prune entries from the GnuCash file contents that drive the OFX import account matching. By reading this script, and a GnuCash file saved in uncompressed, XML format, it's possible to see that this bug report is accurate. Running the Perl script might help a little, but I see bugs in that script.
Master branch has code to create a GUI editor for the import map data, Bayesian and convention. See https://github.com/Gnucash/gnucash/pull/45 . That editor is a possible partial solution to this bug. This is not the right place to discuss that editor. Thanks to Jralls for the tip.
This problem has been fixed in the unstable development version. The fix will be available in the next major software release.
GnuCash bug tracking has moved to a new Bugzilla host. This bug has been copied to https://bugs.gnucash.org/show_bug.cgi?id=745896. Please update any external references or bookmarks.