Optimize QlikView Application User Interface

QlikView has a very user-friendly visual interface. QlikView makes it very easy to pull the data in and present it in an interactive manner. QlikView makes it possible to visualize the present data with engaging graphics. The user also has the chance of optimizing his user interface of the QlikView application. Optimization is required for rapid execution.

Application Performance Optimization - QlikView

The design of a QlikView application can have significant impacts on performance, even when comparing two applications that show the same data.

The following are some of the design tips recommended by Qlik tech:

• The use of macros in a QlikView application can slow down performance.
• Not only do all visible charts and objects on a graph take up RAM for the active sheet, but also invisible objects take up some RAM.
• Limit the number of list boxes, table boxes, and pivot tables in your applications (particularly on the same sheet and overall as well).
• Limit the number of records displayed in a table by imposing a calculation condition, if possible this will narrow down the number of records returned and reduce the calculation time.
• Use charts instead of text objects when you want to display the result of complex expression calculations.
• The date (Now) function requires much more calculation overhead (it calculates every second of the day) than the data function today() use today() if you need to calculate the current date.
• Repeated use of large or complex expressions within a chart can cause performance problems.
• Limit the number of distinct text values in a field if possible. For example, break up telephone numbers and addresses into separate component fields rather than using one long string. String subparts that are repeated are candidates for breaking apart and can be used as selectable fields for user selections and filtering. For example, street address, city, state, and ZIP code can be broken down into parts rather than using the string 123 main st., New York, NY 10001.
• Reduce the number of fields in memory by limiting the use of SQL select all (*) in scripts. Choose the fields you need rather than all of them. Also, drop tables in the script when they are not needed.
• Consider using a document reduction strategy (such as loop and reduce/ loop and distribute) if you can distribute QlikView applications that are subsets of the entire application. This is an option if you want to send out QV applications pertinent to specific departments, regions, or job roles.

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Using Themes for a Consistent Look

After defining the look and styles of an object, it is a good idea to set up a theme for a consistent look.

QlikView developers will often re-use a QlikView application for subsequent projects, deleting the objects they do not want, and modifying or copying the objects they want to include in the new application. This approach is perfectly valid, but the use of QlikView themes is useful in enforcing formatting properties and corporate styles in applications and saves time in application development.

QlikView themes can be created and edited for the document, sheet, or objects. The theme itself is stored in an XML file (with a . Qvt extension), such as a windows application data (App Data) folder for the active user, as shown in the following path (windows7). Note that the App Data folder may be a hidden folder and may need to be revealed in windows explorer, in organize/folders and search options/view/files and folders/show hidden files…

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A theme is used to store or apply layout properties for the document, sheet, and objects. Each of these comprises a section in the template file. For each of these sections in the file, there are subsections that describe object properties for specific object types, a subsection on the border and caption properties, and a subsection on printer settings (where applicable).

The theme file is generated by the theme maker wizard, which is accessible by clicking on the theme maker, button in document properties/layout, sheet properties/general, and chart properties/layout. The theme maker wizard allows you to create a new theme or modify an existing theme.

Hence QlikView is very much effective in visualizing vast and complex data without any interference from outside sources. Even though there are certain limitations, it does not hinder the visualization process.

Related Article: QlikView Basics

Creating a new QlikView Theme

To create a new theme, you must first format the document, or the sheet, or an object to fit your expectations and standards. When you are satisfied, you can access the theme maker wizard from any of the previously described locations using the theme maker button. The beauty of QlikView themes is that they can be performed in advance with no access to client data or site. These themes can be edited in the document, sheet, or size and are stored in an XML file. Perform the following steps to create a new theme:

1. When the theme maker wizard screen opens, click on next.
2. In step1- select the theme file screen, select the new theme, leave the template name as <none> and click on next. Enter a template file name and click on save. Note that if you are adding to (or editing) an existing template, you should choose to modify the existing theme.
3. Select the source from the drop-down list in the step-2-source selection screen. The source defaults according to where you opened the theme maker wizard (current object, sheet, or document). You can change the source as desired. Select one or more sources if the properties you wish to import to the template are specific to the chosen object type, and if the template should import the caption border and print settings (if applicable, these will likely not apply to the sheet object or document). Click on next.
4. In the step3 a-object type-specific properties screen, select the object type properties you want to include in the template. Remember that these properties are imported from the source object(s) chosen in the preceding screen. Default selected choices are usually appropriate, but you can select other properties in addition. Note that you can set as many or as few properties as you wish. In fact, creating task-specific templates can be useful (for example, setting up a template to set the title bar properties).
5. Review or change the properties, matrix in step4. When creating a new template, this screen is less important, but when editing a template this screen will determine the overwriting of existing template properties.
6. In step5, you can save the theme by clicking on the finish. You can also set this template as the default for the current QlikView document, or set this template to be used as the default for all new documents.
7. If desired, repeat steps 1 to 6 above for each chart type, sheet, and document, but this time select modify the existing theme in step1- select theme file screen to add to the theme created in this screen.

Related Article: Interview Questions on Qlikview

Applying Themes

QlikView themes are useful in formatting properties and corporate styles in applications, hence saving time.

You can set up templates to be the default theme, or you can apply themes manually. Themes can be applied to objects, sheets, or the document, by accessing the appropriate apply theme button from the object, sheet, or document properties dialog box. you can also apply the theme to multiple objects by using the lasso tool by clicking and dragging around objects. To apply a theme, follow these steps:

1. If you want to apply a theme to a sheet or object, click on the sheet or object (or use the lasso tool) and then access the properties dialog box for that object. If the template must be applied to the whole document, access the document properties dialog box.
2. Click on the apply theme button. In the document and object properties dialog, the apply theme button is in the layout tab. In the sheet properties dialog, the apply theme button is in the general tab.
3. Select a theme from the stored themes and click on open. The theme is applied to the active selection (object, sheet, or document).

 

Containers

A container is a tool that holds several controls within it. The container collects and displays QlikView objects. The container object is a useful sheet object that allows developers to add multiple sheet objects of any kind. The container is a way to save screen space by dedicating just one area that can show multiple charts or tables in the same space. The charts and objects are available for selections in the opened container by clicking on the buttons that are placed in the container automatically when you add a chart/ object to the container. A container object saves space as multiple objects can use the same space by setting ‘Container type’.

The container object is more flexible because you can use different dimensions and expressions within it.

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Getting started with container objects is simple and easy. To add a container object with multiple sheet objects, follow these steps:

1. In your QlikView application, decide which objects you would like in the container. These charts or other objects should already be constructed. Open the object properties, and in the general tab note the object ID.
2. On the sheet, right-click to access the context menu and select the new sheet object/container.
3. Find the object Ids for the desired charts and objects you want to have in the container, in the existing objects pane, and add them to the objects displayed in the container pane.
4. In the presentation tab, choose where the buttons/tabs for the container should display. The choices are top, left, bottom, right, and drop-down list at the top. Click on ok. When finished with another formatting, including setting the font and active caption background in the caption tab.
5. In the caption tab, select the checkbox to allow minimize. This will allow users to minimize the container to free up the screen space for more objects. See the following illustration for a depiction of a minimized container (in this case, a custom color has been defined for this object).