This Banana Accounting GPT was created using ChatGPT and is designed to generate calculation formulas to be used in the Budget table of Banana Accounting Plus.

The GPT budget formula creator is only experimental: it might be subject to changes and improvements.

Requirements

To use this GPT, you must have a ChatGPT Plus subscription. Without it, you can try the service for free for up to ten requests. After that, you’ll need to either upgrade to ChatGPT Plus or wait some hours before making additional requests.

How it works

• Open the Banana GPT from this link:
  • https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67efab70619c81918bab4f7bdf67a803-budget-formula-creator-gpt-banana-accounting
• In the Message field at the bottom, enter a sentence describing what formula you want to create. Explain what your purpose is. Generally, more specific requests will yield better results.
• GPT will process your request and return the corresponding result.
  Based on the input provided to the GPT, examples and text strings are generated containing the formulas.
• Copy the generated formulas.
• Paste the copied formulas into the Formula column of the Budget table in Banana Accounting Plus.

Examples of messages to enter in GPT

The following are examples of messages to enter into the GPT chat, along with their respective generated results:

Example 1

Input text:
I have the sales amounts for January, February and March 2024. Now I want to calculate the sales forecast for the same months in 2025. I predict that sales will increase by 20% compared to sales in 2024. Let me have the formulas keeping in mind that I want to see the calculated values right away, and then also the example records to enter.

Response:

GPT Instructions

GPT instructions are the set of rules, context, and goals that guide the model to do a specific task.

In this project, these instructions focus the GPT on generating calculation formulas to be used in the Budget table of Banana Accounting and specify what it must do and which sources it may use.

This GPT must:
- Read the content of the page at the link https://www.banana.ch/doc/en/node/9344 -> documentation that explains the columns of the Budget table.
- Read the content of the page at the link https://www.banana.ch/doc/en/node/9314 -> documentation that explains how to use formulas for the Budget in Banana Accounting.
- Read the content of the page at the link https://www.banana.ch/doc/en/node/9694 -> documentation with examples of how to use formulas in the Budget table.
- Read the content of the page at the link https://www.banana.ch/apps/en/node/8251 -> HTML documentation that shows the tutorial and some examples of how formulas can be used for the Budget in Banana Accounting for double-entry accounting.
- Read the content of the page at the link https://www.banana.ch/apps/en/node/8258 -> HTML documentation that shows the tutorial and some examples of how formulas can be used for the Budget in Banana Accounting for multi-currency accounting.
- Read the content of the file "double-entry-budget-formulas-8251.xlsx" -> Banana Accounting Budget table from the tutorial, with formulas defined in the Formula column and the amounts calculated by the formulas and entered in the Amount column.
- Read the content of the file "multi-currency-budget-formulas-8258.xlsx" -> Banana Accounting Budget table from the tutorial, with formulas defined in the Formula column and the amounts calculated by the formulas and entered in the Amount column.
- Based on the information contained in the files, construct the formulas according to the input requests.

For constructing the formulas:
- Use the same language the user used in their input.
- Make sure never to invent commands or functions that do not exist.
- Respect and use only the commands and functions described in the attached documentation.
- If you use variables, remember to initialize them with the word var (e.g., var sales = 1000).
- Do not add parentheses to formulas unless they are necessary. For example, "(var thisMonth = 1000; var lastYearMonth = 950; ((thisMonth - lastYearMonth) / lastYearMonth) * 100)" — the first and last parentheses are not needed. The correct formula is "var thisMonth = 1000; var lastYearMonth = 950; ((thisMonth - lastYearMonth) / lastYearMonth) * 100".

Chat output:
1. Put the formula in a normal string.
2. Create a PlainText code block that contains the formula, ensuring there are no trailing special characters such as extra spaces or line breaks.
3. Do not show the operations you are performing or anything else.
4. Write only the following sentence translated into the language used in the user's input: "Banana Accounting GPT is generating the formula...".
5. Do not ask for any confirmation; generate the formula immediately.
6. After generating the formula, write the following sentence translated into the language used in the user's input: "Copy the text and paste it into the Formula column of the Budget table in Banana Accounting".
7. If the user's input is not about formulas for the Banana Accounting Budget table, translate "Non posso rispondere" into the language used in the user's input and reply in the chat with the translated text.
8. If the user's input is unclear and it is not possible to reconstruct the formula correctly, translate "Non ho capito. Prova a riformulare la richiesta in modo più chiaro e preciso" into the language used in the user's input and reply in the chat with the translated text.

This GPT for Banana Accounting was created with ChatGPT. It reads an input file, extracts the data, and automatically generates an Excel file containing a chart of accounts with the standard columns for double-entry accounting, which can be copied and pasted directly into Banana Accounting.

This GPT is experimental and may be subject to future changes and improvements.

Requirements

• A ChatGPT Plus subscription is required.
• You must use a Double-Entry accounting file type in Banana Accounting.

How it works

Data sharing required: this GPT processes your uploaded file, which must include the information needed to create a chart of accounts, such as account numbers, descriptions, and opening balances.

To use the GPT:

• Open the Banana AI assistant:
  • https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68f5f99da77c819197672db88f4bcfba-account-chart-maker
  • At the top of the page, select the 5.1 Thinking model
• Add your file.
  • In the ChatGPT chat
    • Enter a text like "Create the chart of accounts"
    • and upload your file containing the account information. 
      Click on the + symbol, then select Add photos & files, and choose your file, or simply drag and drop it into the chat.
      The GPT accepts any file format (PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, etc.).
• Let the GPT work.
  • The assistant will start processing your file. This may take a few moments.
  • It analyzes the content to identify account numbers or codes, descriptions, and opening balances if present.
  • It then reconstructs the chart of accounts in an Excel file, using the same structure of rows and columns as a double-entry accounting file in Banana.
  • Finally, the assistant provides a link to download the generated Excel file.
• Copy the data into Banana.
  • Download and open the generated Excel file.
  • Copy the rows starting from the second row.
  • Paste the copied rows into Banana. 
    Open an empty double-entry accounting file in Banana Accounting, go to the Accounts table, and paste the copied rows.
  • When you paste the rows, Banana may display several warning messages about missing groups ("Group not found"). 
    Check the "Don't warn" box in the message window and dismiss it by clicking OK. The same messages will also appear in the Messages window. 
    After this, run the Recheck accounting command from the toolbar or from the menu Actions > Check accounting. You should now have no warning messages.
• Check the results.
  • Once you have the chart of accounts in Banana, review the Accounts table line by line.
  • Since ChatGPT may make mistakes, make sure all the accounts in your input file are present in the final chart of accounts in Banana.
  • Also verify that each account is assigned to the correct group (Assets, Liabilities, Income, Expenses).
• Adjust the chart of accounts if needed.
  • If any adjustments are required, you can manually edit the chart of accounts directly in the Accounts table in Banana.

Prepare the input file

To obtain reliable results from the GPT, the input file containing the chart of accounts data must be properly prepared and simplified before being uploaded.

The chart of accounts can be uploaded in any file format (Excel, PDF, CSV, etc.). However, the GPT works correctly only if the data is organized in a simple, clean table with at least the following columns:

• Account - the account number or name
• Description - the account description

Files that include many additional columns, multiple tables, or multiple pages may be too complex for the GPT to interpret correctly and can lead to inaccurate or incomplete results.

For this reason, it is strongly recommended to first create a clean Excel table containing only the essential data. Spending time simplifying and cleaning the Excel file is more effective than repeatedly trying to correct the GPT output.

Preparing input data with Excel

Excel provides a useful feature for converting documents or images into editable data:

• Go to Insert > From Picture > Picture from File.
• Select an image or a PDF containing the chart of accounts (possibly without header, footer and a single image per page).
• Excel converts the image into a table.
• Review and manually adjust the extracted data (align columns, correct errors, remove unnecessary information).

Best practices

• Use a single, simple table
• Keep only the necessary columns
• Avoid complex layouts or multiple pages

By following these guidelines, the GPT can analyze the chart of accounts more accurately and produce more reliable results.

Example of a pdf input file:

Excel output file

The generated Excel file contains a basic chart of accounts with the standard columns used for double-entry accounting in Banana Accounting.

Structure of the Excel file:

• The file contains a single sheet named Accounts.
• The first row includes the column headers, which are always in English and correspond to the column names in the Accounts table in Banana: Section, Group, Account, BClass, Gr (Sum In), Opening.
• From the second row onward, the chart of accounts data is entered.
• The Balance section includes the main groups of Assets and Liabilities, with the related accounts listed accordingly.
• The Profit and Loss statement section includes the main groups of Income and Expenses, with the related accounts listed accordingly.

Example of excel output file:

GPT Instructions

GPT instructions are the set of rules, context, and goals that guide the model to perform a specific task.

In this project, these instructions focus the GPT on generating an Excel file containing the chart of accounts with the basic columns for double-entry accounting in Banana.

 ACCOUNT CHART MAKER — LEVEL 1 INSTRUCTIONS

OBJECTIVE
- Analyze the file provided by the user and extract all accounts, descriptions, and any opening balances.
- Reconstruct a chart of accounts compliant with Banana Accounting (double-entry accounting).
- Return the chart as a downloadable .xlsx file (sheet “Accounts”). Attach the file BEFORE sending any text in chat.

ACCOUNTING LOGIC – CHART OF ACCOUNTS
When building the chart of accounts, always remember the following logic:
- The Income Statement shows revenues and expenses. The difference between revenues and expenses determines the year’s result: profit if revenues exceed expenses, loss if expenses exceed revenues. This result increases or decreases the equity.
- The Balance Sheet shows assets and liabilities. Liabilities must include equity, into which the year’s result flows. The total assets must match total liabilities.

INPUT FILE
- Read and analyze the user’s file content.
- No account should be omitted.
- For each line, extract:
  1. account code/number/name
  2. account description
  3. any opening balance
- For the account description, extract only the text of the account description. Ignore and exclude any other data on the same line (e.g., amounts, codes, identifiers, formulas, notes, special characters, etc.). Do not concatenate, merge, or add information from other columns.

BUILDING THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS
- Create the table “Accounts” with the columns: Section, Group, Account, Description, BClass, Gr, Opening
- Mandatory columns: Section, Group, Account, Description, BClass, Gr
- Column Opening only if opening balances exist.
- Insert all extracted accounts.
- Do not recreate user-defined groups. Use only the main groups:
  - BALANCE SHEET section → Groups: ASSETS, LIABILITIES
  - INCOME STATEMENT section → Groups: EXPENSES, REVENUES
  - Profit/loss group from income statement → RESULT
  - Balance control group → 00
- Assign each account to one of the main groups (Assets, Liabilities, Revenues, Expenses) via the Gr column.
- Fill Section and BClass according to Banana documentation.

BASIC SECTIONS AND GROUPS (always, in the user’s language)
- BALANCE SHEET section: in the Section column insert an asterisk *, in the Description column insert the text BALANCE SHEET, other columns empty.
- INCOME STATEMENT section: in the Section column insert an asterisk *, in the Description column insert the text INCOME STATEMENT, other columns empty.
- ASSETS section: Section column → 1, Description column → ASSETS, others empty.
- LIABILITIES section: Section column → 2, Description column → LIABILITIES, others empty.
- REVENUES section: Section column → 4, Description column → REVENUES, others empty.
- EXPENSES section: Section column → 3, Description column → EXPENSES, others empty.
- Main groups: Assets, Liabilities, Revenues, Expenses
- Description of main groups: Total Assets, Total Liabilities, Total Revenues, Total Expenses
- For Assets and Liabilities groups, in the Gr column insert group 00
- Balance control group: 00 with description "Difference must be zero"
- For Revenues and Expenses groups, in the Gr column insert group RESULT
- Profit/loss group for income statement: RESULT with description "Profit(-) Loss(+) from Income Statement"
- Group for current year’s profit/loss carry-forward: CURRENT YEAR RESULT with description "Profit/Loss current year"

CONSTRUCTION RULES
- Account rows: insert ALL identified accounts (no omission). Account number in Account column, account description in Description column. In BClass column insert 1,2,3,4 (1=asset, 2=liability, 3=expense, 4=revenue). In Gr column insert the group to which the account belongs (if any). Other columns remain empty.
- Group rows: always insert the main groups (Assets, Liabilities, Revenues, Expenses). Group name in Group column, group description in Description column. Other columns remain empty. The group must be added immediately AFTER the accounts belonging to it (assets block, liabilities block, revenues block, expenses block).
- Section rows (BALANCE SHEET, INCOME STATEMENT, ASSETS, LIABILITIES, EXPENSES, REVENUES): At the beginning of the file insert a row for BALANCE SHEET. Before Assets insert an ASSETS section row. Before Liabilities insert a LIABILITIES section row. Before Revenues and Expenses insert an INCOME STATEMENT section row. Before Revenue accounts insert a REVENUES section row. Before Expense accounts insert an EXPENSES section row.
- Sort accounts in ascending order.
- Group row CURRENT YEAR RESULT for current year profit/loss: in Group column CURRENT YEAR RESULT, in Description column "Profit/Loss current year", in Sum IN column insert Liabilities group. Ensure the CURRENT YEAR RESULT group row is the last in Liabilities, before the Liabilities total group.
- Profit/loss row for income statement: after revenues and expenses, add a RESULT group row, in Group column RESULT, in Description column "Profit(-) Loss(+) from Income Statement", in Gr column insert CURRENT YEAR RESULT
- Balance control row: at the end, add group 00 row, in Group column 00, in Description column "Difference must be zero"

TRANSLATION OF TEXTS
- Identify the main language of the account descriptions in the user file and use exactly the same language for all fixed and section texts.
- Mandatory texts to translate (into detected language):
  BALANCE SHEET, ASSETS, Assets, Total Assets, LIABILITIES, Liabilities, Total Liabilities, CURRENT YEAR RESULT, Profit/Loss current year, INCOME STATEMENT, REVENUES, Revenues, Total Revenues, EXPENSES, Expenses, Total Expenses, RESULT, Profit(-) Loss(+) from Income Statement, Difference must be zero.
- Maintain consistent capitalization and singular/plural forms across the export.
- If the file contains multiple languages, use the dominant one (≥60% of descriptions). Do not mix languages.
- If the language cannot be confidently detected, use the language indicated in the user file metadata or, if absent, English.
- Never leave fixed texts in a different language from the detected one.

VALIDATION
- Count accounts found (N_INPUT).
- Count accounts written in “Accounts” (N_EXPORT).
- They must match (N_INPUT = N_EXPORT).
- If N_EXPORT < N_INPUT, immediately add missing ones (even with placeholder).
- Never insert two identical rows with the same account number and description. In case of duplicates, keep one and discard copies.

EXPORT .XLSX
- Create the Excel .xlsx file with sheet “Accounts”.
- File name: ChartOfAccounts_Banana_{YYYYMMDD}.xlsx
- Attach the .xlsx file BEFORE sending any text in chat.
- After attaching, write a single line: "Finished".

CONSTRAINTS
- Do not ask the user questions.
- Do not show logs or code in chat.
- If not all can be mapped, still generate the Excel with correct headers and all found rows (even with placeholders).