You are right. You have found a combination of existing tools that can extract data to a spreadsheet form useful to other applications. It is unfortunate that you did not find it sooner, but it is partially documented in the WIKI as noted by David. I have used a similar method from time to time, sometimes to import data from outside HTML sources into a spreadsheet for further processing.
On Fri, Mar 2, 2018 at 9:27 PM, Mike Stillingfleet < mikestillingfl...@fastmail.co.uk> wrote: > Dear All, > > I have used GNUCash for a couple of years now. in recent days I have come > across a couple of features or tricks which have completely transformed the > value of GNUCash to me. Yet neither of these features are in the help > pages. Or if the are in the help pages I have consistently missed them in > my efforts to find ways of reporting sensibly from GNUCASH. > > The first is that I have gone through all sorts of hoops to report on > transactions based on a particular search criteria. > > I now find that this is simply achieved by doing a find from the edit > menu. With the resultant search result tab open you can select the reports > menu, account report and GNUCASH will create a report from those search > results. > > The second is that you can get your report into a spreadsheet very simply. > Export the report as an html file. Open excel. Open the html file. > > That's it. No converting pdf files to excel. No crazy export of > transactions and importing CSV files etc etc. > > > I have to ask why is the combination of procedures not clearly spelt out > in the help files. It has taken two years to discover this. I have posted > several threads trying to achieve this. I think it has been possible all > the time. > > Now the information I have in GNUCash is suddenly an invaluable resource. > I am no longer entering data in two or more places. I am no longer > exporting transactions and manipulating them outside GNUCash. > > A minor note to point out is that the values imported to excel initially > appear as links through to the original transaction. Copying the column > and pasting as values takes seconds and then off you go. I think you could > probably also set up a macro to do this step for you. > > I am astonished that this is so simply achieved. There are hundreds of > threads on this forum with people obviously trying to achieve this. So > obviously users are not getting appropriate instructions from the help > files. > > It it would be great and save everyone thousands of hours if it were to be > included in the help clearly and obviously. > > > > -- > Mike Stillingfleet > mikestillingfl...@fastmail.co.uk > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > gnucash-user@gnucash.org > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. > ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.