Lesson 3: QuickBooks Desktop Integration - High-level overview of QBXML

QBXML and Its Bible

In the last two lessons I talked about creating a SOAP server that talks to the QBWC, which is a SOAP client. Next, we'll discuss by which means or protocol does this client and server speak to each other. This means is a simple text protocol called QBXML. The best way to learn about QXML is through its bible, the QBSDK On-Screen Reference or OCR. You're always going having this reference open so go ahead and open it up now and start clicking around. As of this writing, the latest QBSDK version is 13.

Using the QBSDK OCR

QBSDK is an umbrella term that is exclusive to QuickBooks Desktop integration and is not related to integrating with QuickBooks Online. I say umbrella term, because it is really a group of technologies you're going to have implement and QBXML is one of those pieces. As you can see from browsing around the OCR that support is mature and you're most likely going to be able to achieve your integration goals.

I believe version 13 of the QBSDK came out in around 2013 so it's unlikely that any of your customers are not going to qualify for version 13, meaning they're definitely going to be using a QuickBooks Desktop version beyond 2013.

Conclusion

QBXML is at the heart of QBD integration and it is the means of communicating with the QuickBooks Web Connector. In the next lessons I'll be diving more in-depth around create and serving up QBXML via the SOAP server you're going to be building.