topic Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor? in Visualization and Usability

Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

danielgargiulo — Mon, 01 May 2017 11:02:13 GMT

We are just trying to restrict the self-service functionality in Qlik Sense so a user can only create new charts and tables with the master measures and dimensions. The problem is in Edit mode a user has access to the ‘expression editor’ which gives access to all the fields in the data model, including hidden fields. Does anyone know a way to restrict this functionality?

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

rittermd — Mon, 01 May 2017 12:35:21 GMT

What exactly do you mean by expression editor?

Are you saying that if they click on the Fields icon that they can see all of the fields that have been defined in the load script and you don't want that?

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

danielgargiulo — Mon, 01 May 2017 21:03:28 GMT

I mean there is the fx icon which expands the area where you can create and edit expressions. If this is still unclear i will load an image. With regards to the Fields icon etc we can get around this with hidden fields.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

marcos-paixao — Mon, 01 May 2017 22:47:31 GMT

if you are using Qlik Sense Desktop the functionality could not be disabled. Otherwise, if you are running the app on a QMC Environement (Qlik Sense Server), you can disable the user editor using a Security Rule.

The links above will show you the referred documents about how to use Security Rules.

The expression editor cannot be disabled. I suggest you to use master items for the user expression and disable the master items editing for the users.

Best Regards,

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

danielgargiulo — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:02:08 GMT

Hi Marcos. Thank you for the response. To confirm we are working with Qlik Sense Enterprise. Are you able to confirm what you mean by the 'user editor'? Is this the button that allows a user to edit a sheet?

I am also keen to understand what you mean by ' use master items for the user expression and disable the master items editing for the users.' Are you able to expand on this further?

thanks again.

dan

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

marcos-paixao — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:12:04 GMT

Yes, is the button "Edit" for the interface.

The master items is the best practice to let the users use Measures and Dimensions without creating any expression. By this way, the user can duplicate a sheet and then edit it without the use of the Expression Editor (fx) and with not Load Script.

Hope this can help.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

danielgargiulo — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:16:56 GMT

Hi Marcos.

Your comment, included again below, is exactly what i am trying to achieve. However from what i can see there is no way to make master items available for people to use without them having access to the 'edit' button to edit sheets and when in edit mode the expression editor(fx). Am I missing something?

"The master items is the best practice to let the users use Measures and Dimensions without creating any expression. By this way, the user can duplicate a sheet and then edit it without the use of the Expression Editor (fx) and with not Load Script."

Thanks,

dan

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

marcos-paixao — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:24:50 GMT

Hi Dan,

you might be right, just because the "Edit" button is the entrance for the visual elements.

I think there's no security rule for this as well...

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

danielgargiulo — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:25:59 GMT

thanks for confirming. I will keep trying and update if we find a solution.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:30:01 GMT

Did you find a solution?

***

What I'm looking for, it's to disable the possibility, for users, to modify the master measures. User can't have the possibilty to see the expression.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

oli_hardy — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 08:04:16 GMT

Hi Daniel

Did you find a way to achieve this? Or how do you handle this with your customer in a self-service environment?

Regards Oliver

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

Digvijay_Singh — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 18:08:13 GMT

We are also on the same boat and looking to hide certain fields completely even with no access to anywhere including expression editor in custom/private user sheets?

Any ideas please!

@tresB @rwunderlich @stevedark

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

stevedark — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 18:23:11 GMT

This is not something that I have tried to do. As far as I am aware even if you try and obfuscate the field name and hide it (with HidePrefix) a user will still be able to unlink a Master Measure and see the code behind it and work out what was going on.

Using variables (which are not so easy to get to without having an app in your work stream) can help obfuscate things a bit further, but someone with a bit of knowledge could find the content of a variable by having an expression to get the code of the variable in a string (e.g. '$(vObfuscatedCode)').

Hopefully someone else will have some ideas.

Steve

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

Digvijay_Singh — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 20:24:35 GMT

Thanks! @stevedark for checking on this.

Thinking of using Hash functions to convert the IDs into the different unique values before they get loaded in the QVDs. AFAIK Autonumber is not helpful when a single field is sourced from multiple QVD creation apps. We are still thinking about all the options/limitations.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

tresB — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 13:39:08 GMT

Check if section access OMIT could be applicable here.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

Digvijay_Singh — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 15:28:30 GMT

Thanks @Tresesco or checking on this! These ID fields are used in the aggregation measures and acting as keys as well, as I understand OMIT takes the field out of the data model so I think that would impact the metrics and the associations.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

tresB — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 05:36:31 GMT

I didn't play around much with OMIT earlier. Now when try few things in qlikview, I see this doesn't work (visible as if no omit is there) for key fields. And also, the qlik help says that 'omitted fields are visible in the data model' which I could not replicate using a non-key field in omit structure. Quite surprising! or may be I need to do bit more rigorous testing on it (when I have more time).

As an alternative, I can think of another not-so-easy solution, again using section access; instead of hiding the field itself, hide all the values in it and show 'nothing' or any dummy value in it. However, this again might not work if you are actually using this field in calculations (i.e. - if you have a case where you want to show the sum of 100,200,300 =600 and don't want to show these values as field values).

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

oli_hardy — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 08:00:03 GMT

To use OMIT to achieve the restriction as desired for the self-service functionality is not the right approach. With OMIT the field is not only not anymore visible to the user, but also the content is not anymore available to the users.

In my opinion there are no good workarounds available to fulfil this requirement of not showing the fields to all users with a professional license.

It should be done on security rule level within the QMC. The ability to restrict the area of access to users only to the masterelements and the ability to restrict the "unlink" option of the masterelements should be possible. Or to restrict to go into the FX-Editor in general for some users. That something Qlik should provide.

Re: Qlik Sense Restrict Access to Expression Editor?

stevedark — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 08:41:59 GMT

Hi @oli_hardy

That was my thoughts also, I was interested to see if anyone knew better. The level of flexibility in Sense Client Managed security is massive - but it doesn't go as far as this. Locking down to Master Items only, with no ability to edit measures or see data model would be very useful.

Maybe something to raise in the Ideation section of Community, and then post a link back here to get some traction for it?

Steve