Launching files from QlikView

[#1]

Hi everyone, as always thanks in advanced for any help or insight on this topic.

I’m tryingto use QlikView as a file manager. I’m currently building an application in which the availability of certain documents in a specific folder should be evaluated. Furthermore should the file be present I’m looking for a way to “link”and “launch” that specific file from QlikView.

I’m facing 2 different problems:

1.- Is there any way (perhaps a macro ????)for QlikView to ascertain if specific filenames are present in a specific folder?

2.- Is itpossible to “link” different files within a table and “launch” them from there? (given that the filename and locations are known). In this topic I read on the help files that using an “Info” or “Bundle” prefix something similar might be achieved.

I’m attaching a zipped folder that contains a QV file, an excel file with theoriginal data and finally an additional folder with dummy files that should be linked. Again any tips or ideas will be very much appreciated.

Best regards,

FranciscoS.

[danielrozental]

1- From script you can use a file function like filesize() to see if a file exists. From the GUI you should use a macro. Just google vbscript and file functionality.

2- I believe you can have a link to a file, something like "file:///C:/User/Documents/Module.txt"

[#3]

Hi,

      You may use triggers for this purpose. That can be done by adding a button, in its properties->Actions->External->Launch, specify the filename. Also,info load may be used, wherein you will have to create a file with two columns, first column being the value and second column being the file path. PFA files, check the new button and listbox added in your qvw file. Select a value from the listbox, an 'i' icon appears in the title of the listbox, click it to open the respective file.  Else, you may also set triggers on field selections in the Document properties->triggers tab for the same using above procedure.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

[#4]

Thanks Daniel, the filesize function did indeed work for the porpouse I had in mind, however the file link didn't quite work out...

[#5]

Hi Lawrencem, I currently have it working in the real application via a button doing exactly what you proposed, that's why I was looking to make it just one step easier for the end-user by launching the files directly when a field selection was made.

I did look into and triedthe field selections triggers you mentioned, however I'm not sure why but when I set the field selection trigger and set that specific action (the launch external file) it doesn't work. It works fine with any other actions such as restore,minimize or maximize objects, but I just can't get it to launch a file when I select say "Customer 1" or "File A". Any ideas?

[#6 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

     Well I think we are probably missing out on understanding the hierarchy in which the events are triggered at document, sheet and object level. But, found a very easy alternative for your query. Just set the display options for your expressions in straight table as 'Link' and then create your expressions as strings, as shown in the attached file [<url> to the rescue ] . PFA. Hope this helps.

Thanks.

[#7]

Cheers Lawrencem, in fact that was what I was trying to do all allong. It would be great if I could subsitute the text for an image (since the text has no effect on the actuall URL), but this will do just fine! Thnxs again!