Intuit Partner Platform - QuickBooks OSR site is a joke

Question

I'm using a Mac for browsing and trying to access QuickBooks OSR. Its not happening. It is quite simply the worst web layout I've ever used. Not one Mac browser can display it correctly, meaning you cannot reference anything. On the PC side it is pretty much the same, ridiculously bad. Unless you want to use an old version of IE, which is not an option for me.

http://dev.developer.intuit.com/qbSDK-current/Common/newOSR/index.html

Seeing as this is the key area third party developers using QBXML or QBFC go for reference, isn't it about time someone at Intuit put their hand in their pocket for once and rejigged the layout to be compatible with modern browsers (say, the last 10 years worth)?

Clicking 'Select Message' gives me a really unhelpful 10px square in the corner of the screen.

Is there a downloadable version so I can stop getting so annoyed and start developing?

Thanks, John

Kurr

Answer 1

Moved yet again: https://developer-static.intuit.com/qbSDK-current/Common/newOSR/index.html

IE 10 works for me (in compatibility view) but not Firefox or Chrome...

Kellar

...only it's broken. Looks like they missed a json file or something when they moved it last. – Norvil

Where did you get this link from? I have read the entire technical overview and searched through their 600 page programming guide and nowhere does it mention how to actually access the OSR. – Feline

Answer 2

This version works better: https://member.developer.intuit.com/qbSDK-current/Common/newOSR/index.html

It works in Chrome for Mac and Windows.

The copy you linked to is broken, and Intuit has just never removed it/fixed it. :-(

Smokejumper

Yeah, Intuit broke it when they did some server changes the other day. They are working on it. – Smokejumper

Answer 3

[Update] It's Compatibility Mode. You have to turn it on in IE10 for the OSR to work.

I have the same version of IE on 3 computers (including 1 under Parallels on Mac), all with the same security settings, and couldn't figure out why I got a blank screen on one of them. Of course that was my main dev machine. Re-installed the SDK (for the local OSR), checked security and other IE settings, nothing worked. Finally figured out that the difference was Compatibility Mode.

And just to be clear, the URL I'm using is https://member.developer.intuit.com/qbSDK-current/Common/newOSR/index.html.

Hope this helps. And I hope Intuit is checking their logs for 404 errors so they can clean up broken links on the developer site.

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Keith, that version is still messed up on my Mac in Chrome.

John, I'm using the local OSR installed with QBSDK v12, on IE 10 and Windows 7 and it works fine for me, so give that a try if you can use a PC or Parallels. There's no downloadable version in PDF or similar format.

I really like the layout of the OSR but browser support is awful. However I wouldn't expect Intuit to invest too much in the old SDK, even though it's still officially supported. Multiple monitors and multiple browsers is the way to go whenever you're dealing with the OSR. At least I no longer have to install Firefox v2!

Pigskin

Haha yes true. Its just accessing the menu, that would at least make it usable. Thanks for that other link Keith, that is a little better for sure. I will look for QBSDK Mike, that is a very workable solution as I can whack it on my terminal server or a virtualbox, I'm using FM Books Connector but hit a wall, need to check it out. Guys, thanks a lot, appreciated! – Kurr

Strange - works just fine on my Mac in Chrome. Out of curiosity, what, specifically, is messed up? – Smokejumper

The columns that show the actual functions, so you cannot select anything. I have just got a VirtualBox up and running with XP and the QBSDK v12 as suggested by Mike. Works great. Phewie! Thanks dudes :) – Kurr

The drop-down works fine if you use the scrolly wheel on your mouse/track pad. – Smokejumper

Indeed thanks Consolibyte, I am using the scrolly method as we speak and it is behaving just enough for me to get stuff done. Nice one. – Kurr

Answer 4

On Windows 7 with IE 10, neither the web OSR nor the local SDK version will display (blank screen). With Firefox 21, I can display the OSR (either one) and main menu using the scroll wheel to find and select the message and can access message descriptions/definitions on the first screenful of objects but not on the second one. Do I really have to go back to XP and IE5 to get the OSR to work?

Yalu