topic Re: nPrinting output blank in Qlik NPrinting

nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:27:37 GMT

I have set up two apps in nPrinting which connect to two seperate Qliksense apps. The connections generate fine and I create the reports which also preview fine then I have set up a task to output to a file system destination. This all works.

Sometimes the output is blank, no errors or anything just blank. I go in and preview the nPrinting report and its blank too so I regenerate the cache and then its fine and all works again.

Has anyone seen this behaviour?

We have nPrinting with Qlikview as well and this isn't somethign we've seen with that setup.

Re: nPrinting output blank

Ruggero_Piccoli — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:55:39 GMT

Hi,

We need more details because this is very strange behavior:

are you applying filters to the task or users? If yes are those filters generating empty dataset?
do you see any specific error message?
did you checked the log files? In particular the Engine logs. Are there any error message?
what kind of template are you developing?
"empty" means that there are not data but fixed strings like titles are visible?
can you share some screenshots?

Best Regards,

Ruggero

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:03:32 GMT

I would also add to this that we should know:

are there any Qlik Sense application reloads in the same time?
are there any variables controlling what is shown in the report?
- as an example variables set in script which are used in expressions or as conditions
When you say you get blank report what do you get?
- empty file? As Ruggero mentioned it is important to know what template you are using and get to see output when report is "blank" and when is "populated"?
Are you using section access?
Are you using some conditional hide/show on sheets or containers
- in case you are using entity report template (object or sheet)

cheers

Re: nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:28:49 GMT

HI,

No filters, only one user, me.

No errors.

No errors in logs.

Excel template from blank template. All I am doing is placing one table into the template in the first cell, its extremely basic.

Empty in this case means the task executes it creates an excel file but with no data in it.

What do you need screenshots of?

Thanks

Phil

Re: nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:36:08 GMT

Hi,

Reloads are earlier and have finished by time task executes.

No variables - it couldn't be an simpler, 1 app, 1 connection, 1 report containing one table from said connection, no filters no variables nothing.

I get a file but their is no data in it, when I go into nPrinting and to the report and open designer I preview and get an excel file with no data. I then regenerate the cache and preview and the data appears.

No section access

No, blank excel file as template. No conditions, just asking it to output what's in the Qliksense table.

Thanks

Phil

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:39:54 GMT

Right,

Is this straight or pivot table? Not really important but still - I am just trying to build a picture what we are dealing with.

And probably most important question:

What version of Qlik Sense are you using? Can you give us indication of release month year and SR/IR?

thanks

Lech

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:46:24 GMT

The other thought - how big is the application and how quickly your table in Qlik Sense returns results. Does it work instantly when you open the sheet in Qlik Sense where your table is? or does it take some time to recalculate object and display numbers?

I am trying to establish if there is possibility that Qlik Sense chart times out and does not return anything. I had such behaviour in the past where I used not optimized object (with calculated dimensions and not optimal expressions + poor data model). I realized that Qlik Sense sometimes was not able to calculate that object and did not return anything.

Performance of Qlik Sense application is a key in this case so just wanted to make sure that you are not having a bottleneck there.

cheers

Lech

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:52:45 GMT

to add to that - once you get a report produced, how big is a table you are getting in excel? What is rough number of columns and rows in the output file?

cheers

Lech

Re: nPrinting output blank

Ruggero_Piccoli — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:06:16 GMT

Hi,

Very strange because it is a simple report template that should work. Yes, screenshots of the steps you are doing can help included some of the task.

Please start by reading and doing by yourself the tutorial in https://help.qlik.com/en-US/nprinting/May2021/Content/NPrinting/Introduction/Get-started.htm because it seems you are doing something in the wrong way:

create the connection to the Qlik Sense app. Generate the cache and be sure the process is completed correctly with cache status Generated
create a report template in Qlik NPrinting Designer. Add a single table, better a simple one with few rows and columns, and run a preview. You must see the same data you see in the source Qlik Sense app
if you want to deliver reports via mail configure the SMTP server and run the test
create a publish task, add the report template, your user and select deliver via mail and publish to NewsStand
run the publish task and you should receive the email with the report attached and be able to see the same report in the NewsStand

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Ruggero

Re: nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:19:37 GMT

Hi Lech,

Its a normal table. May 2021 Qliksense release.

When I open the app it doesn't open instantly maybe 3 seconds and same for sheet to display table. Wouldn't think that's anything to worry about.

Largest of the two exports is 21 columns by 58k rows.

Thanks

Phil

Re: nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:34:22 GMT

Hi Ruggero,

With respect, I don't need to read anything as we are not new users of nPrinting, we have another seperate instance of nPrinting connecting to Qlikview as opposed to Qliksense which is working fine for multiple report outputs and where we very rarely have any issues.

As I saw it isn't a case of this not working at all, if I regenerate the cache and then preview in nPrinting designer and then run my publish task I can see a file fully populated with data as expected.

Then sporadically, this exact same task with no changes other than the source app has been refreshed may run as expected or produce a file with no data in it.

Last night I edited and published the Qliksense app. I regenerated the cache, previewed the report, could see everything I expected and yet the publish task this morning after the QS App had been refreshed output 2 files of 8k with no data. I preview the report in nPrinting, no data. I regenerate the cache, preview the 2 reports, both are fine, I run the tasks, 2 files produced as expected with all data as expected.

I can't explain this behaviour as its not something I have seen before. I have had tasks fail and its normally cause files are locked out but this is really weird.

Thanks

Phil

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:35:04 GMT

Well - lets be precise here

Are you using native Qlik Sense Straight Table? or PivotTable...

Also - Just to confirm, you are not using extension object /table like Vizlib or similar?

Re: nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:37:45 GMT

Hi Lech,

Straight Table. Or Table as it is in Qliksense, not Pivot table.

No not using extension. Well not for the table I am trying to output.

Thanks

Phil

Re: nPrinting output blank

Ruggero_Piccoli — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:44:05 GMT

Hi,

Did you have task failures? Can you post the execution task errors and the log files?

If not I suggest you to open a support ticket with everything we need to reproduce the error (Sense app, template, steps, log files, etc).

Best Regards,

Ruggero

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:44:56 GMT

ok - I agree as you said above - this is strange and what you do is straight forward and should just work.

Moving forward I would suggest contact support as this is something what would require deep investigation, going through logs (NPrinting and Qlik Sense and both server logs).

@Ruggero_Piccoli - what do you think? Is this a case for support? From my point of view there is nothing else we can suggest. Weird thing is that regenerating metadata fixes the problem. As I said before, I saw similar behaviour with poorly designed apps and object, but as Phil said it does not take much time to open app and calculate object therefore I am not considering this to be a case.

Re: nPrinting output blank

Ruggero_Piccoli — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:48:27 GMT

@Lech_Miszkiewicz we wrote the same at the same time! I think we can check the execution task page and log files error messages and no more. The to go ahead a support ticket with all the details is needed.

Best Regards,

Ruggero

Re: nPrinting output blank

Lech_Miszkiewicz — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:49:44 GMT

just throwing one more idea.

Does this app have any unsupported objects or object which potentially could interact with state of the app like:

default bookmarks
always one selected value property on some of the fields
sheet triggers
alternate states

Official list is here: https://help.qlik.com/en-US/nprinting/May2021/Content/NPrinting/GettingStarted/HowCreateConnections/Connect-to-QlikSense-apps.htm#anchor-1

the other objects i consider troublesome despite them not being listed as not supported.

Re: nPrinting output blank

Weephil_76 — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:53:27 GMT

No, none of the above.

I'll raise a case, thanks both for your help, really is a confusing one.

Re: nPrinting output blank

Frank_S — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 17:15:26 GMT

Hi @Weephil_76

I'll just add points to check:

Are the sheet or sheets in the app published?
Is your app published?

If yes, then please proceed with the support case

Kind regards...