Method Community

Hi Method,

I have a question about custom field (created in QuickBooks v14 enterprise desktop).

In PurchaseOrderLineItem, I have three custom fields (created in Quickbooks, and I have my Method Integration Engine on all the time.)

1. In Method, if I create a new PurchaseOrderLineItem by action (insert record to table) with value set to those three custom fields. They can be synchrnoized to QuickBooks without any problem.

2. Later, in Methood, if I set new value to those custom fields, I can see they are modified in Method screen. However, after synchronizing with QuickBooks, some error occurs. 

(a) If I put those custom fields in a Grid, then change value directly from that Grid. After synchronizing, those fields are not updated to QuickBooks. In Method, they are rollback to previous value. Seems that they only show on screen, but never goes to database.

(b) If I use action to update those custom fields. I got error message "xxx does not support editing" (where xxx is my custom field name.)

Since Method:CRM claims that it is ok to synchronize data back to QuickBooks, Seems that something wrong while synchronizing custom fields between Method and QuickBooks. What is the correct behavior that I should expect? 

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Alex

Hi Alex,

Please confirm that your date, time and timezone are correct on your sync computer. If any of these are incorrect, sync problems will occur. Also make sure that you are signed into QuickBooks as the admin user on this computer. This will prevent conflicts due to insufficient permissions.

If you confirm the above and are still having this issue, please give our support number a call at 1.888.925.6238 x2. It looks like you may be having some sync issues, but this isn’t something that I can diagnose through our forums.

I hope this helps.

-Audisho

Thanks. I checked my system clock and it seems fine to me. 

I already gave your technical support a call, all are busy, wait for their return call now.

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Hi Alex,

I understand that you spoke with our support team over the phone and they came to the conclusion that this is happening is due to a limitation with the QuickBooks SDK. The SDK does not support the ability to add or change data in QB custom fields for purchase orders after the purchase order has been created. If you would like to check into this yourself, you can follow the link that I provided above.

When you select PurchaseOrderAdd from the Select Message dropdown, you will notice the following requests are available:

DataExt objects are the QB custom fields. This tells us that when we add a purchase order record through the SDK, data for the QB custom fields can be sent to QB as well.

Now change the dropdown to PurchaseOrderMod(2.1). Notice the absence of the DataExt objects. This tells us that we are unable to add or modify QB custom fields through the SDK on purchase order records that already exist.

If you notice this occurring on QB custom fields on other tables, check the SDK reference against these tables as well. It’s quite possible that custom QB field data can’t be added or modified once the transaction has been added. I hope this helps to clarify.

-Audisho

Is it possible to ask QuickBooks to have this capability? We choose Method:CRM becuase you claims that it is ok to synchronize between QBs and Method, and now they are not supported. I don't think that I need to care about this "limitation" since we pay you but not QuiciBooks.

The other thing is, if you can not update QuickBooks, how come you erase data on Method database? I think that if you can not update back to QuickBooks, at least, you should not erase data on Method side.

Please come out a solution, since we already invest lots of resource on this project and this synchronization is key to our project.

Thanks.

Alex

Hi Alex,

Upon further inspection, it appears that you cannot add or modify QB custom field data through the SDK for any transactions that already exist. I’ll stress this again; this is a limitation of the QB SDK, which is developed by Intuit. Unless Intuit decides to add this feature to the SDK, it is impossible for us to add it to our sync.

If you would like to request this feature be added, you will need to contact Intuit. They have a feedback page or you can use their contact page.

The reason that the data is rolled back in Method is due to the sync. The sync engine is designed to keep the data in both Method and QB is in sync. Since it cannot make the change in QB, it rolls back the data in Method instead. If you do not care that this value is reflected in QB, you can add a custom field in Method instead. This field will not sync with QB and therefore will not be overwritten by QB data.

I hope this helps.

-Audisho

Then, at least say something that we developer should not use custom fields from QBs because you can not synchrnize them. But not to waste plenty of time to trace and got a "not-support' answer.

You guys are supposed the one to use that so-called SDK, not me. And, since you emphasize a platform to syncrhnize Method and QBs, we developers pay you to get away of this SDK issue. Please spend some time to work with Intuit and see how you can make it, not ask your customers to deal with your hassle. I think we have to tweak our specification and explain to our clients for this kind of limitation. Hopefully my clients still want to stick with your solution because who knows any "un-supported" items ahead.

Actually, you guys did a great support for my other issues. But for this issue, you suggestion does not help at all.

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Alex

Hi Alex,

I understand your concern and I apologize that this limitation was not documented anywhere within Method or our Help Center for you to see. I know this does little to help you now, but I will make sure that we update our documentation to indicate this limitation.

I do want to correct you and state that we do sync with QB custom fields. The limitation from the SDK simply prevents us from making changes to custom fields from Method once a transaction has been posted to QB. This includes editing the value on an existing line or entering a value into a new line. Entering and editing values in these fields before a transaction is posed to QB works as expected.

I can certainly speak with our development team to determine if a request has already been made for this feature or if we can create one. I stress that this would be considered a feature request on Intuit’s end and will be prioritized as such. I can’t imagine this making it into their SDK any time in the near future and I would strongly recommend that you investigate a workaround with your client.

All 3rd party software and platforms that access QB data, do so through the QB SDK. As such, please understand that this limitation applies to all software and platforms that sync with QB.

-Audisho

Hi Alex,

Is this still true even with the release of QB ES 2015? Can we use the QB Custom Fields in Method and have them fully sync? We're using custom fields in QB on Purhcase Orders, and we're seeing issues between QB and Method when these custom fields are populated. In Method, they send it to QB to create a PO and QB creates the PO and applies the previous PO information onto that new PO, and it looks like QB always wins. So, if I had info in the custom field in Method, it doesn't go to QB, but rather QB takes the previous PO's informaiton for that custom field. The 2nd time we are in Method  and we input data into the custom field, then when the sync happens, QB accepts the value of the custom field from Method, because it's doesn't bring over by default the value of the custom field from the previous vendor's PO. If you don't ever say yes to have QB auto-populate the custom field, then all is okay, but if the user in QB says to auto-populate the csutom field in the future, then it doesn't worik and from then on, we have to do the process in Method the 2nd time. It's very confusing, so sorry if I'm not explaining it clearly. 

Dave

Hi Dave,

in my QBs, I have automatically recall information checked with "Pre-fill " option selected. Seems that my case is a bit differernt from yours, for me, the first time to push data from Method to QBs always works, that includes all QB's custom fields. Then, for the same PO, if I update those QB's custom fields in Method, as Audisho pointed out, there is no way to send them back to QBs, so QBs always return previous value and overwrite my input in Method during synchronization.

While create a PO, I do fill every fields in Method, so QBs create PO based on my input during sychronization.

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Alex

Hi Dave & Alex,

I finally got the Help Center atricle that details syncing with QB custom fields posted the other day. It discusses the limitations that exist in the QB SDK when syncing with custom fields. Take a look at solution No. 583 for details.

I hope this helps.

-Audisho

Got it. So far, I just use some "sparing" fields from QBs (like other1, other2, ..) to work as custom fields, so we can pass information between QB and Method.

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ALex