topic Re: Where to begin in QlikView

Where to begin

sdrevik — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:26:37 GMT

I am trying to review QlikView as an alternative to Power BI. I've searched on the web site for tutorials on basics of how to start and connect to a database, but most videos are sales pitches and industry application overviews. I really can't find any tutorial video or documentation on:
a) How to use my views once I've connected to my SQL database (I got the connection figured out, of course). I've stumbled around and can't seem to even bring up the catalog of views, much less narrowing a query that can be used to create a dashboard.
b) Filters, and next steps to creating a dashboard.

The web site is overwhelming and doesn't really lead to where I need to go. I was hoping for something more direct than Power BI. Any assistance or general pointing to the right pages would be appreciated.

Re: Where to begin

marcus_sommer — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 09:24:22 GMT

Qlik used an associative datamodel and not a relational model. With more or less efforts and some disadvantages you may be able to transfer the sql-schemes into the Qlik world but IMO it's not a good idea. Better is you starts really at the beginning by developing the datamodels in Qlik without much glances how it's done with sql. Your sql know-how is further useful but it needs to be adapted to the Qlik logics. Here could you find a good starting point to the most essential things:

Get started with developing qlik datamodels - Qlik Community - 1485839

- Marcus

Re: Where to begin

sdrevik — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:58:52 GMT

Thanks, this was helpful, and I found two other tutorial videos on the associative data model. Very interesting, but I think it tells me I'm using the wrong tool for my need, which is much simpler (helping users easily develop dashboards of simple time-series data). Qlik is more like using a Ferrari to go the corner to get a quarter of milk... no, strike that... a kit to build a Ferrari in your garage to go get a quarter of milk.

There may be higher level policy people who want to merge our data with data from other databases (traffic, population, weather, etc), and I can see where that's Qlik's strength. But that's not our current need.

Thanks!