How to create Visio diagrams from QuickBooks Data

Automate the process of entering data into Visio diagrams and keeping your diagrams up to date with the CData ODBC Driver for QuickBooks. The driver surfaces QuickBooks data as an ODBC data source that can be accessed by applications with built-in ODBC support like Microsoft Office. This article shows how to create a simple diagram to start brainstorming about Visio projects linked to QuickBooks data.

Connect to QuickBooks as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

When you are connecting to a local QuickBooks instance, you do not need to set any connection properties.

Requests are made to QuickBooks through the Remote Connector. The Remote Connector runs on the same machine as QuickBooks and accepts connections through a lightweight, embedded Web server. The server supports SSL/TLS, enabling users to connect securely from remote machines.

The first time you connect, you will need to authorize the Remote Connector with QuickBooks. See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for a guide.

Connect QuickBooks Data to Diagrams

Follow the steps below to use the Data Selector Wizard to import data into your diagram.

1. Open Visio and click File -> New. Open the Brainstorming template.
2. On the Data tab, click Link Data to Shapes.
3. Select the ODBC option and select ODBC DSN.
4. Select the DSN for QuickBooks, select the table you want to import, and finish the wizard. This article uses Customers as an example.

Link QuickBooks Entities to Shapes

Follow the steps below to create a simple diagram that shows how to create shapes from your data, one of the ways to link QuickBooks entities to shapes:

1. Click Brainstorming Shapes and drag a main topic onto the drawing page. Enter Customers as the text of the main topic.
2. Click Topic.
3. Select a row in the External Data window and drag it onto the drawing page.
4. Right-click the Topic shape and click Data -> Edit Data Graphic.
5. Click New Item.
6. In the Data Field menu, select a column. In the Displayed As menu, select how to display them.
7. Drag a few other QuickBooks entities onto the drawing page and add association lines back to the main topic, Customers. New topics have the same configuration: Numeric columns displayed in data bars stand out in contrast to other Customers entities.

You can refresh your diagram from the Data tab, synchronizing your shapes with the external QuickBooks data.