OT: accounting via spreadsheet

[alex at crackpot.org]

Once upon a time I had the job of integrating QuickBooks data with our  
online order processing system (PHP/MySQL application).  We set up  
scripts to periodically dump relevant QB data, parse it, and import it  
into our order-processing database so  we could base reports on it.   
Serious PITA.

QuickBooks can export data in IIF format (Intuit Interchange Format).   
This is semi-documented on their website, though that may only be  
accessible for 'enterprise' customers.  The file format has gone  
through numerous changes, and if I remember correctly it's even  
different for different versions of QB.

IIF is basically tab-delimited, so if you can get the exports working  
you should be able to read the file and see what's what.  (Though  
you'll still have a job to get that transformed into something you can  
actually work with.)  It's been about 5 years since I did this, and  
I've since changed jobs, so I don't have access to the details  
anymore.  Just thought that might at least give you a new set of terms  
to Google for.

alex