Printing to .tsv file

I've never done what you're trying myself, but doesn't it also ask you where you want to put the file? If so, put it on your desktop for starters. That way you shouldn't have to go searching for it. You can always move it to another folder later. Lemme know if that helps at all.

Of course. But it doesn't work. That's why I had to ask. I'm beginning to think I have to do something to close the file to make it real. Certainly non-intuitive.

Stubby wrote in news:rZadnSgZxNFq4A_YnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Make sure you write down the name you gave the file (let's say stubbydat.tsv).

Now hold down the windows logo key and hit F. This should open a search window. Make sure you search for all files and folders, and that it says show hidden and system files, and search subfolders. In the filename contains box type only stubbydat

See what comes up.

Thanks. I did that but all that turned up was foo.dat.lnk the shortcut. It's as if the real file never quite got closed and doesn't exist. Did you try it? Did it work????

Stubby wrote in news:w7qdnZSwBOBwUg_YnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I have Q2006DL, XP Pro. You're right: Printing an "overview" of my checking account to a *.txt file only yields a shortcut, no real file. That may be partially correct, since an overview is not really something you can do calculations on, especially with the graphs on it (I think). Still, either it should give you an error message, or do what it is saying it will do.

On the other hand, I was successful in printing a register view to a tab- delimited file named test.txt, and opening it *with* Excel.

I think what you perhaps want to do is set up a report with the data you want it to contain, then (save it and) print that to a txt file.

HTH

This doesn't solve the mystery of where that .tsv file goes, but have you tried EXPORTING into an excel-format file? I just tried it on Q06 Basic and it seems to work for me. In fact, I can't find a "print to file" option. It's probably there somewhere, I just haven't dug deep enough to find it.

If I have a register report up, there is an "export data" pull-down menu. Excel-compatible format is one of the options on that menu. Also, if I click on the "print report" icon with a register report up, excel-compatibile is another available option there. It also offers to export to a PRN file. Is that what you're trying to do?

"DP" wrote in news:%jFkh.12437$h snipped-for-privacy@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

I think Stubby was trying to print an account overview. When I tried that I got the same symptoms as he did: A shortcut was generated, but no file. I think you have to have a report or register to print, not an overview/summary.

I can only theorize.

The Account Summary tab contains graphics (in Q2005 and Q2006 at any rate); graphics can not be represented in .csv files or txt files. My guess is that Quicken knows it can't output the graphics to those file types and does not try. Assuming that's true; Quicken would be friendlier it it said that.

You can "Print" the Account Summary tab to your printer, or to a "pdf" file ... or probably to any destination that can handle graphics.

OK, even in account overview, I get the same options I mentioned earlier. There are two radio buttons, one connects to a printer including PDF, the other is an export option. The export option gives me Excel-compatible, ASCII and PRN options. Maybe 06 basic doesn't offer the same options as 07 versions do.

But my question still stands: Will exporting to an excel file accomplish the same thing that Stubby was trying to do? Or is there a reason he has to do it the way he described in the OP. Seems to me that if he can get the data into an Open Office spreadsheet, it doesn't matter how he gets it there.

"DP" wrote in news:YXIkh.12497$h snipped-for-privacy@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

My Q2006DL does offer the 3 options. I think a tab delimited txt file is very similar to a prn file. The ASCII option does not have the same delimiter properties, so Shop Rite as payee gets distributed over 2 columns (since you have to choose space as delimiter).

Have you successfully opened a file (in Excel) generated from the account overview tab? Does not go to completion in the OP's case, and neither in my case. A shortcut gets generated, but no real file.

Han, I was just scanning this post, not really following the discussion, but you say "I think a tab delimited txt file is very similar to a prn file" that leap out at me. A .prn file is, I think, very different from a 'tab delimited txt file'. A prn file is a printer-formated file that contains print codes, and other printer-specific items, often in binary data, not just text....if you used a text editor to look at it, it is totally gibberish. Look at

for a good description of what it is, what it does, and how to ultimately use it.

Yes, if I choose the EXPORT option.

But neither of you chose to export, did you? You chose to "print to file" instead, right?

"Andrew" wrote in news:md0lh.2056$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe11.lga:

A prn file (print, then export, choose prn) can be opened with excel, and properly gets into excel, if you choose comma as the delimiter. To me this is very, very, VERY close to a csv file, or a txt file, similarly printed via the print, then export options.

"DP" wrote in news:nk3lh.13898$h snipped-for-privacy@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

My only option in File|Export is QIF, not an option here, IMHO. Which Quicken version do you have? Are there graphs on the overview, like in my case?

Print to file, and that gives the OP's error: (see above): a shortcut is generated, but no file

Oh, I see now. You're talking about Q's ".prn" file that is created by FILE-->EXPORT (I did your command sequence). I was talking about a Windows print .prn file (again, see my URL I cited above). The filetype '.prn' is overloaded; differing data types using the same extension. In

one sees the following:

PRN Printer driver; Signature PRN Text file; Lotus 1-2-3 - Symphony PRN Usually printer output file;

I was talking about the 3rd in the list above that I am familiar with; you were talking about the second.

Thanks - a little education for perhaps both of us!

"Andrew" wrote in news:IVflh.315$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe11.lga:

Now I see.

I was familiar with the prn file as a printer output file (write it to an

8" floppy, go to the big office printer, get a really nice dot matrix printout), but that was some time ago.

More recently, I have used either the prn, txt, or csv file type from several programs as an output destined to be able to be parsed by Excel. I even now have a program that outputs data collected by an A/D converter for use in Excel or other spreadsheet, but they call it a *.del file.

Quicken 2006 Basic. Yes, there are graphs.

OK, my version lets you EXPORT to a prn file. Obviously, there are some differences in options between 06 and 07.

But here's the thing: When I export to a PRN file, I have the same behavior the OP describes. The file is nowhere to be found. I saved to my desktop, but it's not there. I even searched for the file (xyz.prn) to no avail.

Weird behavior for sure.

"DP" wrote in news:Zbjlh.19818$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews8.bellsouth.net:

That is now clear. I use q2006 premier, and thaat is the behavior I see, and the OP saw. Somewhere there is a bug that makes a shortcut before verifying that the file has indeed been generated.

Wonder whether the same bug is in Q2007?

The OP is using Q deluxe 07.