topic Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method in Integration, Extension & APIs

Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:03:13 GMT

Adding an alternate state to the document using the Qlik Engine API is pretty straight forward. I know the Alternate State exists and how one can use the alternate state in an expression using set analysis on the visualization objects.

How do we apply the Alternate State to a field object to be used as a filter? If I can't apply an alternate state to a filter object, I can't use the filters within that Alternate state in the expression in my visualization objects.

Do I use GetObject() and then SetProperties() using the qStateName: parameter set from the AddAlternateState method?

Any help?

Regards,

Alex

Resources for others:

http://help.qlik.com/sense/2.1/en-US/developer/#../Subsystems/EngineAPI/Content/Classes/AppClass/App-class-AddAlternateState-method.htm

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 13:55:28 GMT

Hey Alex,

Here is a sample using qsocks that will add a alternate state, then patch a list object to use that new state.

var qsocks = require('qsocks')


qsocks.Connect({appname: 'Sales Discovery.qvf'}).
then(function(global) {
  return global.openDoc('Sales Discovery.qvf')
})
.then(function(app) {
  app.addAlternateState('MyNewState').then(function() { 
       return app.getObject('QEECN').then(function(object) {
            return object.applyPatches([{
                 "qPath": '/qListObjectDef/qStateName',
                 "qOp": 'add',
                 "qValue": '"MyNewState"'
            }])
       }) 
  })
  .then(function() {
       app.doSave();
  })
})

Or as a Gist if the syntax highlighting is a bit annoying here

https://gist.github.com/mindspank/cbd243cdf4ec15f365eb

This is the end result, top Listbox is now in its own state

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 18:22:07 GMT

Thank you for the quick reply.

I was walking through the logic in the Engine API Explorer and it didn't like the format of the parameters. Received a "Path value not on valid JSON format."

My Alternate State exists;

Checking the documentation the qValue should have a \" infront of the string values.

I tried a bunch of different ways to pass the alternate state name and received errors every time. I don't know how you did the above Maybe you have a demo you could attach?

applyPatches method

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 18:47:18 GMT

Also tried using qsocks.bundle.js and it doesn't work.

var config = {

host: 'localhost', // Server name

isSecure: false //true on server

};

function connect() {

     qsocks.Connect().then(function(global) {

        // from the global handle we can invoke methods from the global class

        return global.openDoc('Demo.qvf')

    })

    .then(function(app) {

        // returns a app handle which we can invoke app methods on



        app.addAlternateState("MyNewState").then(function() {

           return app.getObject("GxUjhtd").then(function(object) {

                return object.applyPatches([{

                     "qPath": '/qListObjectDef/qStateName',

                     "qOp": 'add',

                     "qValue": '"MyNewState"'

                }])

           })

      });



    })

    .then(function() {

        console.log('All Done')

    })

};

connect();

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 19:06:02 GMT

The \ is just to escape the double quotes.

You can see in my example that I'm using single quotes instead of escaping the double quote.

I see you altered the example I submitted, did you call the DoSave method?
Otherwise you are not saving the properties.

Edit: I'd also recommend the latest Help documentation instead of 1.1 as we added more examples in there, https://help.qlik.com/sense/2.1/en-us/developer/Subsystems/EngineAPI/Content/Classes/GenericObjectClass/GenericObject-cl…

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 19:46:19 GMT

Do you know why this wouldn't work? I've tried every way I could think of to pass the qValue and I still get errors.

Is it possible for you to attach a working demo with the full scripts/html you used? I can only get qsocks.bundle.js to run as I've had issues with using just straight require like you have.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 19:53:35 GMT

So the qValue you should set is a string but since it's json you need to pass in the double qoutes so either pass in

"qValue": '"MyNewState"'

"qValue": "\"MyNewState\""

In the second example the backslash is used to escape the double quote so it's parsed correctly as you send it to the engine.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 20:06:39 GMT

Here is again the same script but running in a html file instead.

You should be able to run it straight from file:// just replace the appname with a app in your desktop and a Object ID for a listbox that exists in your app.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 01:45:41 GMT

Alexander,

Thank you so much for your continued replies and help. I'm about to give up trying to get this to work on qs desktop and try it on the server. It may also be a procedural issue:

1. I downloaded your test.html

2. I added a new screen to 'Sales Discovery' and added two new objects that were the same field "Channel Name" just like you have it.

3. I then found out one of the objects ID's and put that into the test.html script.

4. I then opened the test.html file in a browser and let the script run.

5. I then refreshed my Sales Discovery app using f5.

6. My filters are still on the same state.

prior to this, I reinstalled QS to make sure it wasn't a bug on my end. How in the world are you getting this to work! Thanks again.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 01:54:55 GMT

Hmm, that is strange.
I'm running Desktop also and rolled back to 2.1 just to be sure that it would work there also which it did. Also tried restarting my Desktop instance a few times just in case but it still works on my end.

Are you trying to target a Filterpane with multiple fields in it? Because then the path will most likely be different.

If you can share the app you have been testing against I can try it on my end so we have the same IDs, just in case

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 01:57:59 GMT

By the way, this is a good method to quickly find your object IDs without having to use the single configurator or mess with the APIs just to get a ID

Shortcut for getting object IDs out of Qlik Sense - YouTube

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 06:53:37 GMT

Files added

Mind blown at that shortcut! Great stuff I'll be using this religiously.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 00:01:43 GMT

Ah, now I see where the confusion comes from.

You are trying to set the filterpane object and not the listbox into a different alternate state.

In Qlik Sense when you drag a field onto a sheet we create a filterpane object.

All the different fields that are shown in the filterpane are created as children to the filterpane.

So when you target the path /qListObjectDef that definition does not exist since you are operating on the filterpane and not the listbox. You probably want to iterate over the filterpanes children and set all its listboxes into a different state. In this specific case the id you are looking for is YPpkPz

Attaching a example that will print out the full property tree of the filterpane to the console just in case you want to look at the hierarchy.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 16:23:18 GMT

Yea if you can upload the example that would be great. I have yet to get it to work. Please also attach a working example if you could too, this could alleviate a lot of back and forth.

If I put the filterpane object into State Y, the field within that filterpane should inherit the state....or was that just QlikView?

I also couldn't getobject 'YPpkPz' as it returns null

I have the below setup and you can see that the rnmAEX object still gets selected. I guess this is bc my qPath is not correct? How would I include the filterpane in to this path?

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 02:55:25 GMT

That was just QlikView, we don't cascade states in Qlik Sense.

Here is a sample that is working against the app you attached previously, Sales Discovery_ab.qvf

I haven't edited the app at all, just loaded it up using the script attached and refreshed the app after it ran.

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

balexbyrd — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 17:56:55 GMT

Alexander,

Thank you for sticking with it. I noticed a few nuances in the code between what we were working with and your most recent upload. Seems like it liked this one better. Great job!

Some goofiness with the selections in the second state not showing up but logically it makes sense and can be overcome. Can't thank you enough!

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Alexander_Thor — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:08:03 GMT

Awesome, great that you got it to work.

Yeah the current selections bar shares the same behaviour as in QlikView, i.e it only shows the current selections which is the default state ($). It won't show the excluded state (1), previous selection ($-X) states or any other named alternative states that you add to your app.

Edit: And this is why we love Qlik, at first glance it looks like a simple tool but underneath there is so much complexity going on it makes your mind boogle PS. Don't even get me started on Selected Exluded... .DS

Re: Qlik Sense 2.1 Engine API; AddAlternateState method

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 10:37:37 GMT

Hi Alex,

Can you also explain little more, where to place the script with in the app using engine api explorer.

Thanks,

Kranthi