Export Lists from QuickBooks

Summary

With QuickBooks Pro 99, do we have the ability to export all of the customer info to Microsoft Access? If so, do your consultants have any pros or cons using QuickBooks and Access?

Question

With QuickBooks Pro 99, do we have the ability to export all of the customer info to Microsoft Access? If so, do your consultants have any pros or cons using QuickBooks and Access?

Answer

You can export the customer list in two ways. 1) Using File>Export which creates an IIF file. This file has tags in it that identify each field of the customer records, but it can't be directly read into Access. 2) Using File>Export Addresses which creates a "merge file". This file is more like a database file in that it separates fields with tabs. This can be read directly into Access, but it's only the customer names and addresses. If you're trying to "link" QuickBooks and Access, that is, have them communicate back and forth, you really can't do that. You can export, but you can't easily import and you can't have one set of "live" data that syncs up in both systems at the same time.