Accounting concepts: the developer's essential guide

The guide offers developers a comprehensive overview of accounting APIs, emphasizing the importance of understanding accounting terminology for effective integration within products. It introduces Merge's Accounting Unified API as a standard, explaining key concepts like Reference Objects, Transaction Objects, and Report Objects that form the backbone of accounting systems. These components efficiently track a company's finances, with References classifying transaction parties and goods, Transactions recording money movement, and Reports assessing financial health. The document further details specific elements such as accounts, contacts, items, payments, invoices, bills, journal entries, purchase orders, credit notes, vendor credits, expenses, and general transactions, highlighting their roles and fields in accounting processes. Additionally, it examines different types of financial reports, including Balance Sheets, Income Statements, and Cash Flow Statements, which evaluate a company's assets, liabilities, income, and cash activities over time. The guide underscores the utility of the Accounting Unified API in navigating diverse accounting systems and enhancing product integrations.