GnuCash currently provides rudimentary automated stcok quote abilities. If an account is properly configured, and the host computer is connected to the internet, the binary gnc-prices can be used to load stock or mutual fund price quotes from various web sites directly into GnuCash.
To make use of this feature, the following must be done:
A sample image is shown below:
To update the prices stored in a gnucash account file, run the command line command gnc-price, specifying the filename; for example:
gnc-prices myaccts.xac
Running this command will print various diagnostic messages to
the screen while it loads data. It will work only when the host
computer is attached to the internet. It will work if the host
is behind a masq-style firewall. It does not currently work from
behind proxy or socks-style firewalls. The command can be run
many times in one day; however, it will update the accounts
at most once with the most recent trading days price data. Thus,
if gnc-prices is run on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday,
only two price entires will be made: one containing Friday's
data, and one containing Monday's data, since the Saturday and
Sunday runs will only retreive the Friday closing price.
To keep gnc-prices from updating one account, while allowing it
to update another account, merely mark the data source for that
account as "(none)". You can do this from the "Edit Account"
window.
After running gnc-prices for a few days, your accounts will begin to resemble the following:
