Quickbooks Import QBI

Adam since you seem fit to continue to complain lets fill in a few details here,

2 days after the initial release of quickbooks for zen cart I sent you the modified files, how they work and why they work,

you chose to ignore this,

so now you can go and ask a developer, and this will all be fixed for you for your next release,
you know how to do it now...

Merlinpa1969:

Adam since you seem fit to continue to complain lets fill in a few details here,

2 days after the initial release of quickbooks for zen cart I sent you the modified files, how they work and why they work,

you chose to ignore this,

so now you can go and ask a developer, and this will all be fixed for you for your next release,
you know how to do it now...
I'd really like to put an end to this and not keep going back and forth in the forum.

I didn't choose to ignore anything -- I get emails, forum messages, and support calls every day and apparently your suggestion didn't get put on my list. If I forgot, then please just email or call me again. Because you think something should be done differently or better in QBI is not a good reason to ignore my wishes. Please, respect my wishes and don't post modified versions of QBI.

Thanks,
Adam

I wonder if it wouldn't be more beneficial for this discussion to happen between you two so that people navigating this forum for support don't have to read pages of two people's chat.

I currently do not use QBI but reading what's going I find it extremely difficult to support the notion that nobody can make changes/improvement to a mod that is released here.

Yes, I know you have a commercial version of this for CRE Loaded, osCommerce, etc. but I am assuming this version you released for Zen Cart is released under the same licensing as Zen Cart and it's open source? If that's really the case, can you really say people cannot make changes to "your core?" Again, working under an assumption that might be faulty.

Please keep in mind that the very code/mod you're trying to protect is useless if Zen Cart doesn't exist for you to be able to touch the core and change the Zen Cart code or integrate with it. Your mod is Zen Cart QBI which means it needs Zen Cart and QuickBooks to be of any use not the other way.

I completely understand your concern about people messing up code, not providing good documentation etc. but I think the Zen Cart developers also deals with same issue. If the Zen Cart team will take the same approach, perhaps nobody will actually be able to release a Mod because they would have protected their code too much to allow anyone to make changes.

On the contrary, there is actually a section on the forum dedicated to posting more efficient code of doing what Zen Cart already does. They are soliciting people to post code changes as way of welcoming improvement.

All Microsoft products as well as the big software manufacturers are subject to people posting work arounds, code update, security holes and fixes, etc. publicly and there really is nothing any of these big company can do about it other than use that to improve their next release.

I don't believe that Merlin was in any way trying to disrespect your wishes. His suggestion is a better approach for those that want to keep up with upgrading their Zen Cart. The more mods that are released that takes full advantage of Zen Cart system to minimize users having to touch core files the better we will all be in the end.

I want to thank you for releasing this mod. You have done a great job! Clean codes and superb documentation. I know that similar mod I have looked at in past cost $100s so this is a great gift to the Zen Cart community and your commercial version is extremely cheap compare to other solutions available out there.

Hope I did not offend you with my post in any way as that's not my intention.

Happy Zenning!

BlessIsaacola:

I wonder if it wouldn't be more beneficial for this discussion to happen between you two so that people navigating this forum for support don't have to read pages of two people's chat.
That's exactly why I said "I'd really like to put an end to this and not keep going back and forth in the forum." Hopefully we won't be hearing more from Merlin. He did correspond back and forth with me by forum private messaging, and his language was abusive. If he continues it, I will ask the forum administrator to handle it at that point.
If that's really the case, can you really say people cannot make changes to "your core?" Again, working under an assumption that might be faulty.
It is an honor system for QBI that has worked perfectly up to this point. No, I can't absolutely prevent anyone from doing that, as I don't control the contribution area of Zen Cart. There are many programs that are open source, but the posting of new versions is controlled by the developers. Zen Cart is one of those -- there is a chosen development team of people who work together -- not just anyone can change the code and release it here.

QBI is possibly the largest Zen Cart contribution (that isn't a quality judgment, just a fact of the 1,000's of lines of code). The comprehensive documentation involves a 45 page manual complete with screen shots. There are 10's of thousands of users, and the only way I can keep the quality level high and support it to the level I do, is to have some control over it. I answer many support questions every day, either by email, in the QBI forums, or by phone. If people start changing it because they personally want it a certain way, and change the code in a good or a sloppy way, then it will make it impossible for me to support it. I would have to either work their mods back into the development version, which may have already changed from the posted one, or constantly be cleaning up bad code. I'd also have people calling me to ask why QBI doesn't work after they've downloaded a broken version. This is exactly what someone did once to the free osC version. They broke it, the person disappeared, and then people were asking me why they couldn't install it.

I completely understand your concern about people messing up code, not providing good documentation etc. but I think the Zen Cart developers also deals with same issue. If the Zen Cart team will take the same approach, perhaps nobody will actually be able to release a Mod because they would have protected their code too much to allow anyone to make changes.
The Zen Cart team takes exactly that approach. They don't allow just anyone to make changes to the Zen Cart code. I absolutely welcome suggestions, ideas, even pieces of code. If the idea is a good one, I will be glad to add it to the next version of QBI. But, please let me do it, so that I can maintain the quality standard of the code and documentation, so that I can make sure it all works together, and so that if it has a bug or people need help, I understand the changes and can fix it or assist people. I know that there's no rule to prevent people from changing it and posting it, and I can't say they've violated any rules of the Zen Cart contribution system. All I can ask is that people respect my wishes and my attempts to maintain the quality and support level that I've given to QBI.
I don't believe that Merlin was in any way trying to disrespect your wishes. His suggestion is a better approach for those that want to keep up with upgrading their Zen Cart. The more mods that are released that takes full advantage of Zen Cart system to minimize users having to touch core files the better we will all be in the end.
I don't dispute that his suggestion is a better way to install it. In fact, it had already been suggested to me and was being planned for the next release of QBI. (QBI, by the way, is completely self contained and no core files are altered. The only core file alterations were to add the db table definitions and add QBI to the menu, so it has been designed very specifically with this in mind.) But if I don't object to him posting changes, then someone else who doesn't know what they're doing will do it next, and then for all the reasons I've stated above maintaining and supporting the program would become impossible. It is also the way he went about it -- he knew that I've asked people not to post changes, and did it anyway -- he didn't call or email me about it first, or post his suggestion here in the forum or on the QBI forum. His manner was combative, and his language (in his private communications) abusive.
I want to thank you for releasing this mod. You have done a great job! Clean codes and superb documentation. I know that similar mod I have looked at in past cost $100s so this is a great gift to the Zen Cart community and your commercial version is extremely cheap compare to other solutions available out there.
Thank you!
Hope I did not offend you with my post in any way as that's not my intention.
Not at all. I welcome calm civil discussion!

Thanks,
Adam

adam I said to stop PMing me,

I stated for the third time, I have asked the moderators to remove it,

what more do you want,

I will state though that the go to hell attitide you replied with the first second and third time that it was suggested that you NOT EDIT the core code tells me that you had NO intention of evver using the over rides that might have interfered with that $80 an Ht 1/2 Min 1/4 Hr billed support....

Merlinpa1969:

adam I said to stop PMing me,

I stated for the third time, I have asked the moderators to remove it,

what more do you want,

I will state though that the go to hell attitide you replied with the first second and third time that it was suggested that you NOT EDIT the core code tells me that you had NO intention of evver using the over rides that might have interfered with that $80 an Ht 1/2 Min 1/4 Hr billed support....
No comment needed. I have reported this user to the forum administrator so that appropriate action can be taken.

• Adam

What did you report,

I do not believe anything rude or obnoxious was said,

It just makes sense that you wouldnt want a TRUE plug and play .

Isnt this from your registration site.

Basic Support is available in the forum. If your issue can not be solved in the public forum with a couple of posts, we need to see your files to resolve the problem, or you would like us to install or configure QBI for you, then you will need to step up to Advanced Support.

Advanced Support is available at the rate of $80/hr, 1/2 hr minimum, billed in 1/4 hr increments. If the issue is due to a bug in QBI, you will not be charged the hourly rate.

Look adam,
I never wanted to upset you,
I actually didnt realize that you would blow a gasket for actually setting up the files correctly,

but I did send you the file structure on more than one ocassion,
<< actually just wanted to make things easier for people to use your module,

I could really care less cause I dont use it.

But for you to tell me that I cant do that, was not kool.

If you tell me I cant, I will just for spite.
you can also ask the developers here if that is a true statement.

If you push me I will push back,

had you sent me a quiet PM then this would have been Ok kool, but you didnt see fit to do that.

Im done, I have done all I can to placate you and rectify this,

If the devs dont pull it they dont pull it,

your a step ahead on your next release, Im so done that QBI will no longer incorporated by us.

That should be enough to apease you,

Please excuse me if this has already been asked, however there are many posts in this forum that I just prefer not to read.

Is this only compatible with Quickbooks, or can it also be used for Quicken?

thank you,

betty

Us Version of Quickbooks only

bettysue:

Please excuse me if this has already been asked, however there are many posts in this forum that I just prefer not to read.

Is this only compatible with Quickbooks, or can it also be used for Quicken?

thank you,

betty
Betty,

It only works with Quickbooks, not with Quicken. Since the purpose of QBI is to import Invoices or Sales Orders, I assume you are referring to Quicken Home and Business? If you are running an online business, you might consider moving up to Quickbooks Pro 2007. Intuit has reduced the price to $149, so it is pretty affordable. QBI currently only works with US versions of Quickbooks, although other country versions are in development.

Thanks,
Adam

As always Merlin, thank you for the fast and easy to understand reply :yes:

betty

Hi,

I am getting this error when I try to creat an IFF file for orders only. Products and customers work fine-

Warning: fopen(/home/rusty2/public_html/newcatalog/mgsadmin/qbi_output/qbi_orders.iif): failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/rusty2/public_html/newcatalog/mgsadmin/includes/classes/qbi_classes.php on line 2371
Unable to create or open output file for writing. Check that the qbi_output directory is set to CHMOD 777.

Those files are set to 777. The only weird thing I see is that order dates are wrong.

New Orders
Quan: 0

Previous Batch of Orders
Quan: 2
No.: 1 to 2
Date: Sep 29, 2006 6:58 am to Oct 5, 2006 4:15 am

All Previous Orders
Quan: 2
No.: 1 to 2
Date: Sep 29, 2006 6:58 am to Oct 5, 2006 4:15 am

Any ideas?
michelle

michelle_rvc:

Hi,

I am getting this error when I try to creat an IFF file for orders only. Products and customers work fine-

Warning: fopen(/home/rusty2/public_html/newcatalog/mgsadmin/qbi_output/qbi_orders.iif): failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/rusty2/public_html/newcatalog/mgsadmin/includes/classes/qbi_classes.php on line 2371
Unable to create or open output file for writing. Check that the qbi_output directory is set to CHMOD 777.

Those files are set to 777. The only weird thing I see is that order dates are wrong.
That's strange that there isn't an error then for products and customers. Make sure that the DIRECTORY itself is set to CHMOD 777. You could also put a dummy file in there called qbi_orders.iif and CHMOD it to 777. It will get over-written when a new one is made.

I'm not sure what you mean that the order dates are wrong. You won't get any new orders until some are placed AFTER QBI has been installed. Also, they won't show up unless they match the status that you've set on the QBI Configure page under the option "Import orders with status:".

Let me know if this helps.

Thanks,
Adam

Hello, I just installed a fresh zen, and installed QBI right after. I followed the install docs, but QBI is not showing in the menu under customers in the admin panel.

Help

lol,
Merlin screwed up,
IN the files you uploaded make sure that the flie located at
admin/includes/boxes/quickbooks_customers_dhtml.php
that need to go into the folder named extra_boxes.

I have just uploaded QBI v3.21b to the contribution area.

Version 3.21b is the same as 3.21, except that the installation procedure has been simplified. It corrects a minor bug in the previous 3.21-NCC that caused QBI not to show in the Admin menus (the easy fix is in Merlin's post above).

Great thanks to Merlin and Alex for pointing out the improved installation to me.

Thanks,

• Adam

Works like a charm.

Thank you.

I just now finished installing 3.21 and came here to find out about the not showing up in menu issue. If I move the file, do I still need to upgrade to 3.21b?

thank you,

betty

bettysue:

I just now finished installing 3.21 and came here to find out about the not showing up in menu issue. If I move the file, do I still need to upgrade to 3.21b?

thank you,

betty
No.

Just move
/admin/includes/boxes/quickbooks_customers_dhtml.php
to:
/admin/includes/boxes/extra_boxes/quickbooks_customers_dhtml.php

Then it will be virtually identical to 3.21b. I renamed those files added by Merlin, just to be more consistent with the rest of QBI, and removed one that wasn't needed, but functionally it is the same. The core code of 3.21, 3.21-NCC, and 3.21b is identical.

Thanks,
Adam