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Qlik Tips and Tricks: Hidden functions that elevate the way you work

insightsoftware -
March 6, 2023

insightsoftware is a global provider of reporting, analytics, and performance management solutions, empowering organizations to unlock business data and transform the way finance and data teams operate.

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Whether you’re a new Qlik user, or a total pro, there’s always more you can learn about the data analytics solution, and how to make it work best for you. Qlik is a robust solution, with plenty of underrated capabilities, and hidden functions that even veteran users of the platform might not know about. So, what Qlik tips are you yet to discover?

Recently, we embarked on a mission to see if there were any secret Qlik functions, tips, or tricks that might elevate the way users work with the tool. We searched our communities, scoured the Vizlib offices, and took a deep dive into the online Qlik-o-sphere to find the top hidden Qlik functions that make working with Qlik easier, and more productive than ever.

 

Control what you share in Qlik with Section Access

When sharing a Qlik Sense app, it’s important that you share the right information with the right people. Row and level security (a.k.a. Section Access) is the process of dynamically reducing the data within a Qlik application. Said simply: this functionality allows you to give certain people access to the information they need to know and prevent others from seeing it.

This tip comes in handy for teams that operate across different territories or demographics. For example, in Higher Education, it’s common for recruiters to target students and schools across separate geographical areas. With Section Access, each recruiter only sees the data from their area.

This function might seem pretty straightforward, but it pays dividends for the teams who use it by making their apps easier to navigate, therefore ensuring a more straightforward experience.

 

Make your set Qlik analysis more impactful with variables

Set Analysis allows you to specify a window of data to analyze in Qlik (like data occurring between two specific dates, for example). By segregating data in this way, you can more easily and effectively analyse it. If you haven’t used Set Analysis yet, this video provides a great introduction to the function.

As a function, Set Analysis is useful as-is, but it becomes even more powerful when you use variables instead of hard-coded Field Values (sometimes called Set Values). Using variables allows you to more easily manipulate your data sets across dashboard measures. This is because changes made to your variable(s) will apply to all of your dashboard measures, automatically. Much like “alternative measurements” on graphs, variables can – for example – allow users to select which unit of measurement their data is displayed in on a given table.

This particular tool is a slightly more advanced function, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll open a world of data exploration possibilities.

Want even more customization? With Vizlib Library on top of Qlik, you can use Vizlib Switch to turn measures, dimensions, or colors, on and off and switch between charts in your container grid. Similarly, Vizlib Button brings you an even more intuitive experience by helping you create nifty shortcuts and better navigate your app and discover insights.

 

Improve your end user’s Qlik experience with Dynamic Views

Do you have end-users who want to see a large amount of data in real-time? Dynamic Views enables you to query and view relevant subsets of large data sets in charts. But there’s more – the charts can be dynamically refreshed as selections are made!

To achieve this, Dynamic Views enable you to connect a base app to another app. What makes Dynamic Views slightly different from a standard On-Demand App Generation (ODAG) is the amount of data required to build the template app in the first instance. With Dynamic Views, you only need to extract the minimum set of data required for the end-user. As end-users will be interacting with this data alongside their workflow application, they have the additional context they need to understand the data and gain meaningful insight.

Dynamic Views is a favorite among Qlik experts. Learn more about them in this video, here. And if you’re looking to add even more flexibility to your dashboards, check out this blog to read about how Vizlib Container Grid helps you work seamlessly in more than one visualization at a time.

 

Change Qlik properties all at once

This isn’t really a “hidden” function, per se, but it’s a Qlik tip that’s too valuable to leave off this list. (Tip: You can change properties all at once in both Qlik Sense and QlikView, and it’s easy to do in both tools!)

Instead of changing the properties of objects with common dimensions one-by-one, this functionality allows you to change them all at once. Basically, once objects are assigned to a Master Item in Qlik Sense (by simply dragging and dropping an object into your “Master Items” library), or linked in QlikView (as simple as right-click >> Paste sheet object as a link), changing the properties of one object changes the properties for all other objects.

This tip is particularly handy when you’re working with the same object(s) in different sheets. A good example is list boxes with identical fields, like countries or states. When you change one item in a linked list box, all other linked objects update automatically.

You’ll save hours of time, and ensure a cleaner, more error-free dashboard by using this tip. Learn about this functionality in-depth, with the Qlik Community, here.

 

Excited to put these Qlik tips to good use? Supercharge your Qlik experience with Vizlib

What about any other Vizlib features you should know about? Vizlib Sheet Menu Plus is an extension which enables you to create data visualizations by mirroring the design of navigation bars in web apps. In short, you can achieve a mashup-like style without writing a single line of code. Vizlib also has Templates – pre-designed charts to get you creating and applying your own styling with just a few clicks!

Becoming a Qlik pro is even easier when your team has access to tools that supercharge the functionalities already available through Qlik Sense – like Vizlib.

And the best part about Vizlib’s suite of products is that they’re ready-to-use from the moment you sign up. Your team can begin using them alongside Qlik Sense immediately, supporting data literacy at all levels of business and driving more impactful, more effortless use of Qlik.

Want to see Qlik + Vizlib in action? View and download examples on our Demo Apps page – including Clinical Trials, OSHA Safety Compliance, and Veeva Vault demo apps!

 

Set your data free. Unlock the power of Qlik Cloud. Vizlib enhances the capabilities of data visualization and analytics to give you unparalleled insight. So you can know faster and act sooner.