Desktop SDK components

The functionality for developing and deploying applications that integrate with QuickBooks desktop is actually distributed in two parts. Some runtime components are distributed in the QuickBooks product (the “runtime software”) and others are distributed separately as part of the QuickBooks SDK package. Here are the details about what’s where:

The following runtime support components are installed with QuickBooks software:

• The qbXML Request Processor – this is the “engine” that receives requests from your applications, processes them, and returns responses. It is installed with the QuickBooks runtime software.

To take advantage of the latest features in the Desktop SDK, your customer will need to have the latest supporting version of QuickBooks installed on his or her computer. (For example, the features new to Version 5.0 of the QBSDK are included in the runtime software of QuickBooks 2006.)

• The qbXML Specification – this defines the format of the request/response messages.

The following development support components are installed with QuickBooks software:

• Software libraries:
  • The QBXMLRP2LIB request processor Interface
  • The QBFC (QuickBooks Foundation Class) Library
  • Additional DLLs to support the Remote Data Sharing client and server.
• The qbXML specification, in the form of qbXML schema files that define the types of messages, both requests and responses, that are handled by the request processor. The request processor validates any requests sent by an application against this specification.
• The qbXML examples file (qbxmlops.xml);* this file includes examples of all qbXML request and response messages.
• Utilities: We’ve developed tools including:
  • The qbXML Validator – validates a qbXML document against the qbXML specification.
  • SDKTestPlus3 – - executes connections, sessions, requests, and responses from a simple GUI, making it possible for you to test many aspects of SDK functionality. The source code for SDKTest+ is available in multiple languages for desktop versions of QuickBooks.
• Sample applications: The SDK includes a rich set of sample application programs, including both source code and executables in Visual Basic, C, C++, and Java.
• Documentation: – Clearly written and organized, these manuals will help you ramp up quickly.
  • QuickBooks Web Connector Programmer’s Guide
  • Technical Overview
• QuickBooks Web Connector: A Windows application that enables a web service running on a web server to exchange data with QuickBooks (or QuickBooks Point of Sale) running on Windows. Programming applications that work with the QB Web Connector is documented in the QuickBooks Web Connector Programmer’s Guide, which is included with the SDK.