015: Data Import Management Engine (D.I.M.E.)
The absolute best way to achieve nearly perfect imports is to use D.I.M.E. for each broker you import data. Brokers rarely change the format of their CSV files, this gives us a chance to take advantage of having YOU visually inspect the columns to decide which should be imported (see table here) and which should be left behind because they're just 'noise'.
Broker account are 'Global' in such that you can have multiple trading accounts (traditional, IRA, ROTH, etc.) that all use the same broker. When you use D.I.M.E. you are configuring the broker import template that will affect ALL future imports for the broker and in return, all accounts that are using said broker.
- After you have created your account, select the account you want to import data into, and make sure your file name contains the broker account number.
- Right-Click on Xen quick menu and select D.I.M.E. to start the process. See Main Screen #4
- You are presented with a file dialogue menu, locate and select the matching file for the account
You will see the CSV file with the headers and data clearly presented. In this example, we are viewing a dummy file using Interactive Brokers (IB) format
0: Active account your working with
1: Broker attached to this account and will be modified to prioritize D.I.M.E selected headers
2: Headers contained in the CSV file. Will vary depending on the broker and information provided
3: Selected headers
IB has one of the most extensive and best CSV I've seen, it contains a LOT of information, however, for Stocklog+, we only need a few columns. Notice how some columns have similar words, example: 'Symbol' and 'underlyingSymbol'. There are many more and this can sometimes cause confusion when trying to correctly choose columns. You can help by directly telling Stocklog+ which headers to import. In this example, we prefer 'Symbol' because it contains the Options Symbol and regular stock Symbols in the same column .vs. UnderlyingSymbol which only contains stock symbols. Choose other required headers and if not sure, select the header anyway and let Stocklog+ decide.
We have reduced the possibly of import errors significantly by only selecting (See #3) definitive columns for Stocklog+ to look at while ignoring everything else. You add/remove a column by clicking on the header which will then display in the status bar (#3) at the bottom. Interactive Brokers is now set to use the template you've configured for any account that uses IB as the broker.
You can modify the template by revisiting D.I.M.E, make sure your active account is using IB (See #1 above) and the file you choose to open is an IB CSV file. Stocklog+ will show you the headers currently selected; add or remove any or all, then be sure to click ADD - it will immediately modify the template.
If your data import is garbled or fields appear in the wrong place, delete the rows and revisit D.I.M.E to add/remove headers -> a REQUIRED header is probably missing, Also check the stocklog.log file for errors. It can be read using any notepad or word processor application. You can also submit a question in the community or submit a ticket
Related Articles
013: Data Import (Part 1)
Data import is one of the Stocklog+ superpowers! Brokers may provide CSV files, but no one said they had to be perfectly formatted, and most are not! This is why very few brokers or journal applications attempt to import competing broker CSV files. ...014: Data Import (Part 2)
See Data Import (Part 1) for header details Below are header samples with a few lines of the raw (Account field was added) .csv file to give you guidance. Each header used here worked at the time of document creation. Try using the headers below as a ...001: Where to download Stocklog+
Always download files from https://www.xenminds.com to make sure you're receiving the most up-to-date version. Once you're on the download page, choose any of the three locations to download the application: FULL: Download this version if this is the ...007: Manually Adding Trades
Stocklog+ by default looks at most items as your broker does: Dates are always YYYY-MM-DD format Each buy or sell is considered a unique single transaction and treated as such. Simple example: When you buy a security, the broker may allow you to sell ...003: Getting Started
You will want to collect or obtain the following: BROKER ACCOUNT NUMBER: Login to your brokerage account and copy your account number exactly as it's shown. You may want to download/request your account trade history from your broker while logged in. ...