FreeAgent Update - Release Fleurie

What's in Fleurie?

Lots to tell you about this week, and even more great stuff to come. Keep that feedback coming!

• The FreeAgent API
• Calendar Data Feeds
• Manage Project Tasks
• UK Payslips
• Australian Tax Invoices
• Tweaks and Fixes

The FreeAgent API

We're working on a whole series of methods of getting data in and out of FreeAgent: what geeks call an Application Programming Interface or API.

It's just a way of allowing other software to talk to FreeAgent; no browser login is required.

Because a different way of securing these methods is needed, you need to specifically enable API access under Settings > API and Feeds.

When the API is enabled you'll use a private key to access some kinds of data. This key, and any of the links to data we supply that contain it, should not be given to anyone who you don't wish to view FreeAgent data.

Key-based access will not permit changing data, though. If the key is accidentally revealed, you can Regenerate it from the Settings API page although you'll also have to change the links in your other software to reflect it.

(Do get in touch if you're interested in developing against our wider API, which we are currently testing)

Calendar Data Feeds

The first of these API methods are our new Calendar Data Feeds, which allow you to set up your calendar software to receive a live feed of Invoice Timeline dates (invoices paid, due and overdue). If you're a UK business you can also receive a Tax Timeline feed.

Our feed is published in a format called 'ical'. Some applications which support ical feeds are:

• Google Calendar
• Outlook 2007
• Apple iCal
• Mozilla Sunbird

To setup your application, copy the appropriate Timeline link from your Settings > API and Feeds page and paste it into the 'ical feed' facility in your application. Each one is a bit different, and we'll be posting a tutorial on how to set these up in the next couple of days.

If you're using Outlook 2003, we understand you can use a product called RemoteCalendars to add the ability to subscribe to ical feeds. We've not tested this but do let us know if you have any success.

And before everyone starts writing to us, you should be aware that Google Calendar only refreshes its ical feeds around every three hours, so don't expect changes you make in FreeAgent to be reflected there quickly!

Manage Project Tasks

Previously you were able to create new tasks while you created timeslips, but weren't able to edit or remove them.

You can now see a list of tasks on each Project page (once you've created at least one), and view the billed and unbilled time against each one. You can add new Tasks from the Project page. You can click a row in the Tasks list to edit that task, or have the option to delete it, although you can't edit a task name or delete it once any of its timeslips have been rebilled.

Next we're going to add Task-level budgets, so that you can view how much time or money has been spent on each task compared to budget. A cool graph will, naturally, display this info.

UK: View and Download Payslips

UK Limited Company users can now view and download PDF versions of their payslips. Use the drop-down menu when viewing your payroll to view any given payslip, and you'll have a link to 'Save as PDF' from that payslip preview page.

Universal: Australian Tax Invoices

We now correctly label Australian invoices which contain GST as a 'Tax Invoice' rather than just an 'Invoice', as is legally required.

Tweaks and Fixes

• Improved Excel Export of Invoices.
• Removed visible 'Draft' watermark on PDF invoices.
• Improvements to CSV Import from Cater Allen Bank.
• Added support for Mediapolis Bank non-standard QIF Files.
• The 'Liability Insurance' category is now just called 'Insurance'.
• Zero-value Invoices are now no longer automatically Paid and locked.
• UK: Owners' Equity is now displayed on Balance Sheet.
• UK: Restructuring of 'Income' section and addition of Dividend income in that tax-year.