QuickBooks Opens Up

By Rich Eichacker
Vibrance Technology Corporation

With the 2002 version of QuickBooks Pro, Intuit introduced an exciting upgrade: an API (Application Programming Interface) that opens up the QuickBooks database. Using this API, software developers can create modules that interface QuickBooks with external software programs. Although QuickBooks did provide rudimentary import/export capabilities prior to this, the new API significantly expands the amount of information and capabilities available to the developer.

Here are some of the data elements that are now accessible:

  • Lists: Accounts, Customer, Vendor, Employees, Items, and Classes
  • Payables & Receivables
  • Credit Card Transactions
  • Non-posting, such as PO#'s and Estimates
  • General Journal entries
  • Bank Transactions
  • Time-tracking Transactions
  • Bill Payments
  • Sales Tax Payments
  • Inventory Items and Adjustments
  • Employees and Payroll

The latest version of the API also includes two new powerful functions:

Application Data Extensions. Developers can add fields to the QuickBooks database, allowing customization of the information contained within QuickBooks. These fields can also be used to link specific records in QuickBooks tables to external database tables.

Reports Data. Developers now have access to the consolidated data found in the myriad of QuickBooks reports. This not only gives access to the figures calculated and organized by QuickBooks, but insures integrity of the data presented because it does not have to be recalculated by an external application.

If you use QuickBooks to do your accounting, this new API can provide you with two key capabilities:

  1. The API will allow you to integrate existing software with QuickBooks. For example, if you have other software systems that handle order entry, sales quotations or inventory tracking, you'll now be able to exchange that information with QuickBooks. Data sets such as customer lists and inventory items will be common between the two systems. You'll also eliminate the double-entry of information such as customer orders and invoices. Finally, because data can be shared, you won't have to consult two different systems for important information, such as customer payments or sales histories.
  2. The API will give you the ability to customize how QuickBooks works. For example, you may want to consolidate a couple of QuickBooks reports into one report, summarizing or combining the information presented. Another option may be to create custom data entry modules if you're not happy with existing, "canned" entry screens. Finally, you can create custom fields within the QuickBooks database and manage those fields from external modules.

Spring 2003 -Volume 13, Number 2

 

 

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