Reporting system replacement (5 Merged Votes)

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Dean Woolstencroft
Dean Woolstencroft Member ✭✭
edited October 2023 in Reports
Would it be possible include a "Report Writer" system within Quicken.  In such systems (like I wrote for General Ledger Systems years ago) allowed the user to select fields for a report - including formatting, etc. 

Quicken's present system is extremely limited - at most allows selection of columns w/ limited  (if any) formatting.  There should be report writers available which could be incorporated within Quicken.

The only method now is to export data and use a spreadsheet (Excel, etc.) or a database (Access) to import and create your own reports.  This is not only clumsy but beyond many peoples' capability.
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  • bmciance
    bmciance SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
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    I completely agree and I have asked for this feature in the past.  Unfortunately nothing has been done in this area so far.
  • MisterQ
    MisterQ Member ✭✭
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    I do not use the Tag field and I don't plan to ever use it in the future. But it shows up in the display every time I do a Find and I always have to shrink that column so I can see the ones that I actually care about.
  • Quicken_Natalie
    Quicken_Natalie Moderator mod
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    Hello All,

    This Idea seems to have fallen stagnant and due to the age of the request and lack of User Votes/Comments, it will be archived within the next 7 business days.

    If you would like to see this Idea kept alive and considered for possible future implementation in Quicken, be sure to add your vote and a comment explaining how this Idea would be beneficial for you.

    More information, including steps to vote and how to submit your own Ideas for future product features/improvements, is also available here.

    Thank you,

    Quicken Community Support Team

     
  • UKR
    UKR SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Given all the complaints about the current Quicken for Windows report generator shortcomings, don't you think it's time to do something about it and provide a brand-new better Report Writer function?
    What do we need?
    • Better automated column width selection, to make data fit within column and not show truncated dates 12/31/20... or truncated amounts 10,123...
    • Make better use of paper width and auto-adjust to portrait / landscape mode switch, to make line fit page width
    • Better method to save report customization, include/omit columns and establish default for future use of same report without re-customization.
    • Report preview and mini-preview to work with all types of monitors, resolutions, screen sizes and Windows settings (100%, 250%, etc. magnification)
    • What else am I missing?
    I sure would like to see something happen here. Sooner than later.
  • UKR
    UKR SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
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    In response to @MisterQ 's comment:
    Instead of shrinking the Tag column width one can deselect the column from the report's customization dialog.
    Making Quicken remember customizations like column selections, column widths, etc., would be a real enhancement.
    Perhaps this Idea should be merged with https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20075668#Comment_20075668 or other similar Ideas and forwarded to the programmers for consideration.
    [updated, UKR] A moderator did indeed merge individual discussions, so the link above now points back to this discussion. Thank you, moderator!
  • wiensken
    wiensken Member ✭✭
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    I have been looking into 3rd party software to automate tasks in Quicken such as export to QIF. Then I use software like bank2csv to convert the qif file to an excel compatible format, from there excel macros reformat the data to build a database for reporting. For those with BI experience, I am basically working on ETL (Extract Transform Load) from quicken. It isn't simple. It would be so so so much better if Quicken had a real report writer!
    Quicken user since 1996 (MS-DOS). When Quicken's head office was in Edmonton Alberta!
  • Frustrated Quser
    Frustrated Quser Member ✭
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    I came upon this string while looking for a Q report writer solution. I keep holding off creating an Excel spreadsheet for a more functional Balance Sheet and Income statement. Any help Quicken?
  • LarryL
    LarryL Member ✭✭
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    For more than two decades, I have used Quicken. THE MOST FRUSTRATING aspect which has never been addressed is the failure to provide customizable reports (i.e., Excel-type manipulation of format, fonts, and sizing for printing) in Quicken itself. This is clearly a business decision on Quicken's part of avoid this and make it as difficult as possible to export reports with these options in an easy way. It has lead to HOURS of unnecessary work, and I'm just about ready to bail on Quicken because of it. What's up with this? It seems this is simply an unwillingness to play nicely with Microsoft Office--which I completely understand. If so, then develop a reporting tool in Quicken that allows the basic functionality of Excel.
  • garysmith87
    garysmith87 Member ✭✭✭✭
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    If you're asking for Excel type flexibility in formatting reports, I'm pretty sure every Quicken report is exportable to Excel.  Then, you can manipulate any report any way you'd like.  So, the option exists, albeit outside of Quicken.  

    The idea behind the original Quicken was ease of use and simplicity.  Not much has changed in the report engine because of that development mindset.  Remember, users skill levels with everything computer oriented are vastly different.  Whereas I consider myself to be extremely versed in Quicken, I'm a complete dunce using Excel for anything more than the basics.  I've never been able to grasp using functions and logic expressions.  That's just me.  And I always learn new stuff about Quicken just by hanging out here in the Community.  

    I would venture to guess there isn't too much need for your request, since most Quicken users aren't sophisticated enough to be playing around with report formatting and are looking for a simplistic approach to creating a report.  

    Thus, the minimal formatting allowed in the current report engine.

    I'm not saying this wouldn't be an interesting and unique addition.  Just that the number of Quicken users clamoring for this wouldn't be a significant number to motivate Quicken's developers to add it.  And Quicken DID open the door via Excel export to manipulate any report to your needs.  
  • duckcrest
    duckcrest Member ✭
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    Quicken Reports pretty useless because of limited customization. As a result you must down load to Excel than spend a lot of time customizing the spreadsheet. Very tedious. For example, I would like to add just one column to an investment report to show "Account", but it is not possible. The only thing to do is subtotal by "account". The reason I want to do this is I have the same security in different accounts, brokerage, IRAs. I want to look monthly at my investments in each security as a whole, but also see how it is invested by account. Just adding one column would make it so simple. Instead I have to download with subtotal by Account, then create a database so I can sort by security and then account. Stupid. It's faster to just input manually from statement. Really I think Quicken stinks, it's constantly making errors, constantly not working with some bank or brokerage company. Very expensive. I really just use it for downloading from multiple banks and brokerages, and then creating simple spreadsheets for my monthly analysis. Constantly trying to keep Quicken in proof is a ridiculous waste of time. ANd using it to track investments is also pretty much useless.

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