topic Greedy search: filters or search bar in App Development

Greedy search: filters or search bar

prayner — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:44:05 GMT

User requires a search bar tool (e.g., smart search) or other object to select any possible value from five fields. The tool must not be limited by data availability. However, I have not found any tool in Qlik that allows the user to select any combination of field values regardless of whether that combination has data. This is true for filter panes and smart search. Moreover, I have not found a way to create a 'smart search' type object in Qlik.

Any solutions in SaaS for creating a greedy search tool?

Re: Greedy search: filters or search bar

madelonjansen — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:02:36 GMT

There is a 'Smart Search' functionality in the selections toolbar.

What is the point of selecting combinations that have no data?

Re: Greedy search: filters or search bar

Or — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:24:09 GMT

Qlik doesn't allow you to select a lack of data, so... I don't think this is possible in the first place.

Re: Greedy search: filters or search bar

prayner — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 11:04:57 GMT

User requested the design to mimic an external solution where filter selection is basically a search bar. If there is the combination has no data, it just returns an error. The idea being that users know what they are looking for. I am just trying to understand if there is such a functionality.

Re: Greedy search: filters or search bar

barnabyd — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:45:28 GMT

G'day @prayner, as @Or said, Qlik is doing a 'select', not a 'search'. You can't 'select' something that is not there.

However, would this scenario match your requirements? You could have a list of products and you want to select which products had no sales last month. There are several ways to achieve this.

Could you give a more concrete example of what the user is asking for?

Cheers, Barnaby.

Re: Greedy search: filters or search bar

prayner — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 09:12:47 GMT

Hi Barnaby, the user wants a dropdown list for two fields (country, type) and a search object for the third (product). Based on these values, we calculate whether the product can be exported to other countries. When the selected combination doesn't exist, the UI says to contact the user's local rep.

There are two problems to solve:

1. The ability to select any combination of values: My solution is to use duplicate fields in island tables for users to select values from. The selected values are passed to the original fields and if there is no combination, I return a message.

2. Search bar: Smart search is a bit hidden for users. I think I can use the variable input object for this, or just the filter pane.

It seems as though there is no sleek solution in Qlik so I will create the two options and hope the clients reason that selecting from existing data is good enough. The app could display text 'if your desired combination is not available, please contact your local rep'.