User definable reader

[Miki Jovanović]

Hi Stan.

Thanks for your work on this.

1) I have created a branch in svn with your code. I suggest we
continue work in there until it is done, and then we can merge it into
the trunk. To let you work there, I will need your email address to
add you to the project.

2) I am little confused why are you making 32 and 64 bit builds. Whole
point of Java is to be platform independent, and that includes 32 vs
64 bit compatibility. There is a special case if Java is making calls
to native libraries, but neither Moneydance not this plugin is...

3) I have a problem with how you integrated the custom reader into the
ImportDialog. It makes the dialog more complicated for all. I think a
better way would be to simply add additional items into the "File
Format" combo. The list of items in this combo should be: predefined
readers + saved custom readers + special option "create new reader".
Order is not important except that the "create new reader" should be
last. In addition, there should be a small button to the right of the
combo to edit custom readers. This button should be disabled for all
non custom readers.

I think this is a good place to start. Lets see how it goes...

Miki.

[stashu pub]

On Aug 11, 12:09 pm, Miki Jovanović <jovanovic.milu...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Stan.
>
> Thanks for your work on this.
>
> 1) I have created a branch in svn with your code. I suggest we
> continue work in there until it is done, and then we can merge it into
> the trunk. To let you work there, I will need your email address to
> add you to the project.
>

I sent you my gmail email name.

> 2) I am little confused why are you making 32 and 64 bit builds. Whole
> point of Java is to be platform independent, and that includes 32 vs
> 64 bit compatibility. There is a special case if Java is making calls
> to native libraries, but neither Moneydance not this plugin is...
>

I wrote and built it in java 64 bit in linux, but when I tried to use
the
extension in windows vista 32 bit, it gave me an error. Since I was
more concerned with getting code to work than figuring out the problem
I just started doing that.

I just now tried including my 14F 64 bit version in windows 32 bit and
it
did work this time, so that is good!

> 3) I have a problem with how you integrated the custom reader into the
> ImportDialog. It makes the dialog more complicated for all. I think a
> better way would be to simply add additional items into the "File
> Format" combo. The list of items in this combo should be: predefined
> readers + saved custom readers + special option "create new reader".
> Order is not important except that the "create new reader" should be
> last. In addition, there should be a small button to the right of the
> combo to edit custom readers. This button should be disabled for all
> non custom readers.
>

I did keep it mostly separate from your readers. I see what you are
saying
about putting both lists of readers together, but, it looks like you
'only'
let mdcsv figure out a reader that will work, whereas I let the user
pick which reader they want to use. So that's a different philosophy.
Which one to do?

I also only had a few days to work on it and I wanted to get it to
be usable. This worked faster for me. I would have to have made
more changes to let me pick a 'file format' so I could work on my
stuff.

One thought: Do you want to get rid of all read-only readers?
You could define the ones you created (ING...) with my screen and just
ship them with the code. They would be predefined, but the user
could modify them.

The only problem would be if you do not want to allow them to be
modified?
I see that the user could mess one up :-) We could have a button to
reset predefined readers to defaults to handle that case.

We could combine my 'Use Custom Reader' and your 'File Format'.
I could still let my 'maintain'/' ... ' button only work with the
edittable readers.
There is still the question of do we let a user pick a reader to work
with or not.

I myself would probably not put "create new reader", a 'command', in a
list of readers.
You are mixing objects. I like my button next to the custom readers
that
lets you do everything with the readers, add, delete, edit, list,
whatever, then
they just show up in the list and the user can pick one to use.

Stan Towianski

[Milutin Jovanović]

1) I have added you as the commiter. Instructions for accessing the source are at:

http://code.google.com/p/mdcsvimporter/source/checkout

Please note the link about your googlecode password. The password used for acessing the source is automatically generated by google, and is different from your standard google password.

Check the branches/custom_reader branch. This is where I commited all your changes.

3) I do not mind eventually replacing all the custom readers with the generic one. However, the main reason I went with specific ones is that they do differ in some breaking changes. For example, CitiBank parser has to skip the last line in the file because the last line is not data but only a comment and a date. ING Netherlands has a special column, and if the column value is "af" then the value of amount column needs to be negated. As you can see, your configuration dialog will quickly get very complicated, and setting it up will start looking like programming very quickly.

Having said that, there is nothing wrong with chosing only a subset of cases that you want to support in the custom reader, which is what you are doing any way.

As for integrating them into the same combo. The reason I organized the dialog as it is now is that the workflow for the user should be as simple as possible. This is important because users will be doing this day over day, so it needs to be simple. My idea was to try to make it so that in 90%+ of cases, the user only has to select file and account, and everything else is done for him. If the user has to select the reader every time, that is a technical question that can be possibly selected wrong every time user imports bank data. Providing customizable options is fine, but I would try hard not to make this basic workflow more difficult.

Each of your custom readers can also have a check "canParse()" and actually verify if a particular configuration is compatible with a selected file. This way, even the custom readers can be automatically selected for certain file formats.

Then all we need is a way to edit the custom formaters. A single button that opens the CustomReaderDialog is all that is needed. And once the dialog is closed, then the canParse() check needs to be performed again.

What do you think?

Miki.

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[stashu pub]

Hi,

I am not by my code, but I think we can combine your and my readers combo boxes.

I sort of think I already have the canParse() built into my custom reader method.  You could look or test.

This part I am not sure what you are referring to:

Then all we need is a way to edit the custom formaters. A single button that opens the CustomReaderDialog is all that is needed.

Are you talking about for the special situations like with the"af" or what?

Thanks,
Stan

[Milutin Jovanović]

What I meant was that the final Import dialog would look exactly like BETA13, plus a single button close to the reader combo that reads "Edit Readers" or "Configure" or something similar.

Miki.

[stashu pub]

Got it. That's what I mentioned too.

Thanks,
Stan Towianski

[Stashu]

Hi,

I am having nothing but problems trying to commit to branches/custom_reader
It is not working:

svn: Commit failed (details follow):
svn: MKACTIVITY of '/svn/!svn/act/a906b5df-3101-0010-86f4-9dbd40cf4dc9':
405 Method Not Allowed (http://mdcsvimporter.googlecode.com)
svn: MKACTIVITY request failed on
'/svn/!svn/act/a906b5df-3101-0010-86f4-9dbd40cf4dc9'
==[IDE]== Aug 18, 2011 9:43:32 PM Committing... finished.

should this really be using the http:// command
or an svn://

Thanks,
Stan

[Stashu]

Hi,

In netbeans I set up svn like:

http://mdcsvimporter.googlecode.com/svn

for branches/custom_reader

with my email login: stash...@gmail.com and the random password given.
It lets me check out but not commit.

Thanks,
Stan

[Milutin Jovanović]

The devil is always in the details. :-) Google allows read only access via HTTP, but for write operations they require HTTPS. It is documented, but its easy to miss.

So, just change your paths to:

https://mdcsvimporter.googlecode.com/svn/branches/custom_reader

Miki.

[Stashu]

Hi,

I think I remember seeing httpSSSS at one point but didn't think about it :-(
I did get files checked in.

Stan

[stashu pub]

Hi,

beta14G version. simplified screen.
big change. took out customReader drop down and added them to
comboFileFormat.
Added Maintain Customer Readers button.
I did not test this one as much as I did previous versions.

On Aug 17, 12:08 pm, Milutin Jovanović <jovanovic.milu...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> What I meant was that the final Import dialog would look exactly like
> BETA13, plus a single button close to the reader combo that reads "Edit
> Readers" or "Configure" or something similar.
>
> Miki.
>

[stashu pub]

preBeta14 H - I did some more redesign. This will make the
fieldSeparator be used correctly now. More tweaks also. Should work
pretty well I hope.

My Discover card 'online' downloads quit working. I see other people
have had that problem. Since MD did not want to implement an
enhancement to let me download a date range, I used this to create a
Discover card customReader. I download discover transactions by a
selected date range and import them. For now I will go with this. The
"FTxnId" is probably different so that may make using online download
not match in the future, but I am not sure yet.

This build could probably become beta14 unless someone sees something
I missed. I do not have ING or Wells Fargo csv files to test.

Stan Towianski

On Aug 17, 12:08 pm, Milutin Jovanović <jovanovic.milu...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> What I meant was that the final Import dialog would look exactly like
> BETA13, plus a single button close to the reader combo that reads "Edit
> Readers" or "Configure" or something similar.
>
> Miki.
>

[Milutin Jovanović]

Nice progress. I have been busy recently, but I will give this a spin for few days. How do you feel about its reliability? I mean are you satisfied with the tesing you performed?

Miki.

[stashu pub]

Hi,

Well I said I thought it could be built to your next beta14.

I used it for importing Discover card for myself. I did not/could not test your built in one's.

Thanks,
Stan

[Stashu]

Hi,

I did not get an email from your comment so I am sending you a reply
this way too.

Yeah, sounds great!

Thanks,
Stan

------------------

These are great improvements.

I have a proposal. You seem to currently have more time then me to work on this plugin.
Would you like for me to give you permission to make releases? We can move all your
changes into the trunk, and thus everyone can easily benefit from your improvements?

[Milutin Jovanović]

It should be all set up now. I think you have all rights except to delete some things.

Miki.

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[stashu pub]

Hi,

Can I get access to changing the 'Project Home' 'Summary'
so I can put info. on about the newest versions?

Thanks,
Stan

[Milutin Jovanović]

I changed the permissions. I believe you should have the same provileges as me now.

BTW, thanks for you work on the project. I am very busy and am glad somebody is looking after it.

Miki.

Thanks,
Stan

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Miki.