article Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown in Qlik Sense Documents

Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 10:51:35 GMT

Cycle dimensions that change multiple objects with one selection have been a powerful tool in Qlik visualisations and dashboards. Whilst this has not quite made it into the product there is a very simple workaround that enables you to get all of your charts dynamically changing. This can used for both dimensions and measures (see this link for an example using measures).

Here's a quick example (plays 2 times)

Steps to implement

> Download and install the QSVariable extension from Branch (or see attached for the version at the time of writing).

> To create a cyclic dimension:

1. Specify a variable name. If you have not already created this variable it will create it in the application.

2. Select Button or Select (dropdown) in the 'Render as' option. You can also experiment with the style and width setting to get different effects.

3. Click 'Add Alternative'

4. Enter in the Value and the Label for the option you want to setup. The 'Value' will be passed into the variable and so this should match your fieldname identically (i.e. case sensitive and use square brackets where there is a space in your fieldname e.g. [Customer Name])

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each additional option you wish to show and switch between.

6. Enter the default value for the variable so that a selection is always made on open.

a. In the Edit sheet window, click on the following button in the bottom left.

b. In the Variable window that pops up, click on the edit icon of the variable you wish to update.

c. Enter the Value that will be the default value for your variable. Ensure that it is one of the values that you have entered in the variable extension object. When done click on the edit button again to save and close the window.

7. Create a dimension in your master items (or reference directly in each chart) using the variable reference as $(VariableName).

Known Limitations

> We are unable to dynamically label dimensions and measures at this stage (as of writing after release of v3.1). As such you have generic naming of the dynamic field.

See the attached example for more details or comment below.

Thanks

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

gferran — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 14:49:46 GMT

Elegant and easy to implement. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

markcurry — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 09:44:51 GMT

Really helpful, thanks a million!

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

paulyeo11 — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 21:07:39 GMT

Hi All

Thank you this is useful. But Step 6 , i not sure how to do it , can some one share with me how ?

Paul

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 05:35:00 GMT

Hi Paul, I have added a few steps in under point 6 to show you how to do this part.

Richard

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

ArnadoSandoval — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 06:06:21 GMT

Fantastic Extension

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

Mon, 22 May 2017 03:54:35 GMT

Hi Richard, I just could not thank you enough

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Fri, 26 May 2017 20:02:26 GMT

Hi Richard,thankyou for the extension , it is very clean and decent. I have an issue though not sure what is wrong,I have defined a variable for dimension and measure.when i define those variables in the chart I dont see any data , its al l blank when i create the variable.I created a variable following your steps. .I assumed it is because of the chart extension iam using ?amcombo.but then i tested it with basin bar chart and still shows no data. can you please advise? thanks Prana

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Sat, 27 May 2017 09:12:30 GMT

In the value area f the variable extension, where you are setting the different selection options, you are including an '=' sign. This should not be there. Remove this and it should work (you may also need to do this to your default variable value).

Thanks
Richard

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Tue, 30 May 2017 13:42:49 GMT

Thankyou Very Much Richard, it works

2 more qns ,

1) If I want to see 1 dimension and 2 measure is multi select an option on the measures?how can I do it

It works fine when I use data items with no spaces (POC,Area).If I use the fields which have spaces it is not working. (Field History). my variable definition is ,

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Tue, 30 May 2017 14:43:04 GMT

1) you would need to have two variable objects controlling two variable values for the two measures. There is no way to multi select through this option.

2) enclose the field name with spaces in square brackets, i.e. [field name], in the value field of the variable object and as the default value you enter into the variable window.

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Tue, 30 May 2017 18:17:05 GMT

Thankyou , I got all working as I wanted with your guidance!

Prana

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

scw — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:56:57 GMT

Hi - thanks for this extension. Works great. The one thing I noticed - I was creating the variable on my own and then trying to use it inside the extension. It didn't work. Then I looked at your instructions again and saw that you are creating the variable through the extension. I deleted the original variable and created the same one through the extension and that worked for me. If you notice the same behavior at your end you might want to add that to the instructions. Hope this helps. Thanks!

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 14:37:30 GMT

Hi Richard, this functionality is not working with mobile app. is there a fix for that?

thanks

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 15:25:02 GMT

Hi Prana,

If you're referring to the mobile offline iOS app (in the June 2017 release) then I do not think this will work as I don't think extensions are supported. However, using QS through a mobile browser should not have any limitations.

Hope this helps.

Richard

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 14:36:31 GMT

Thanks Richard-

Whats is the update you made to this? I didnt quite follow. Apologies about that.

Also I had an other qn, I was trying to write an expression while choosing the data item as a variable.

Interview level has 3 values lets day x,y,z

I want to exclude 'y' and show only 'x' and 'z' on my axis. I do not want to write the code while loading my data,Is there a way I can do it here in the fx window?.

thanks

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 06:37:45 GMT

Hi Prana, there are times when this update seems to happen but there are no changes.

Re your question on excluding values.

You can make the value you pass be a calculated dimension, e.g. If( [Field] <> 'y',[Field]) . You do not need an else value as this will default as Null. You should then set the dimension on the object to not show nulls (uncheck show nulls checkbox on the chart dimension).

Hope this helps.

Richard

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 16:15:47 GMT

Of course it helps Richard. I see that I have to write this code on the chart dimensions..I was trying to write the code on the variables dimensions I added. so I just have to keep adding all the values I dont want to see.

ex: if ([field]<>('x,y...etc ') then field)

thankyou.

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

richbyard — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 18:34:41 GMT

Yes. However, you need to keep in mind that you should be explicit for each value and if you have more than one you will need to write a series of nested if statements. E.g.

IF([Field] = 'X', NULL(),

IF([Field] = 'Z', NULL(),

IF([Field] = 'A', NULL(),

IF([Field] = 'B', NULL(), [Field]

))))

The alternative is to add a flag against these fields into the dataload (perhaps using an inline table) so that you have a much easier expression such as IF([ExcludeFlag] <> 'Y', [Field])

Re: Cycle dimensions using a variable button or dropdown

prananellutla — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 18:41:20 GMT

Okay thankyou !