EDGAReView

New EDGAReView subscribers sign up every day, and since many of you are encountering XBRL for the first time or have come here to learn more about interactive data, here’s a short list of resources to get you up to speed. See how XBRL transforms a financial document into an interactive database.

A portion of this list was generated in an XBRL discussion forum, where members generously responded to a CPA student’s plea for resources that would explain the technology, but were written for people without a programming background. We are happy to pass on some of the recommendations, along with our own, including a recently updated whitepaper called Introducing Interactive Data.

• XBRL for Dummies The book, which is not for Dummies is available online –free of charge, however, there is a small charge for postage and handling.
• XBRL for Interactive Data: Engineering the Information Value Chain
• Try XBRL an interactive site where you can see and manipulate XBRL data, hosted by RR Donnelley and EDGAR Online.
• The XBRL Blog Magazine
• Financial Reporting Using XBRL
• XBRL Fact Sheets From the international XBRL organization
• You Tube Demos, including How XBRL Works, a short, calm, clear presentation by Charles Hoffman, “father of XBRL.” You’ll also find a lot of good, current information on his blog.
• The Story of Our Language. A history of how and why XBRL was developed and spread around the world. Published by the AICPA, the 38-page non-technical chronicle gives the full context for this improved business reporting language.
• The XBRL US GAAP Taxonomy Preparers Guide. Skim through this to get a more detailed view of the computer language and its relationship to accounting terms.