topic External task return error code in QlikView

External task return error code

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:19:17 GMT

Hi,

I have an external task which suppose to do the following:

Batch file

- Check existence of file on DMZ server

If file exist, continue execution of dependent tasks

If file does not exist, exit with error. retry in 5 minutes

I'm using the following command to explicitly throw an error :

EXIT /B -1

In reality the tasks ends with warning instead of error and precedes with the rest of the tasks in the execution thread.

Any idea's ?

Greetings,

Dror

External task return error code

erichshiino — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:24:50 GMT

Hi,

This maybe a strange workaroud, but can you force an error with a non-existing command?

You could use:

Trace FILE NOT FOUND;

ERROR;

It will create an unknown statement error

Hope this helps,

Erich

External task return error code

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:51:23 GMT

Erich hi,

If i place this statement in batch file and let it fired by external task, it does produce an error but trapped as a warning. All dependent task will still run.

Dror

External task return error code

erichshiino — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:17:30 GMT

Hi,

How do you check file existence?

Did you change the system variable ErrorMode?

Can you post your script here?

- Erich

Re: External task return error code

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:47:10 GMT

Erich hi,

the check file is happening inside a .bat file. If no file exist an error is returned. The QVS for some reason consider this as a warning and therefore all successive tasks will run as usual.

Dror

External task return error code

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:04:10 GMT

This looks like very strange behaviour to me.

To recreate the issue:

In a batch file (configured as an external task), force a non zero (error) return code:

EXIT /B -1

I would expect the task to have a failed status in the QDS, but as Dror points out, this exception is being caught and marked as a warning.

4/11/2012 09:56:40.5524236 Warning Process exited with non zero exit code: -1 at 4/11/2012 9:56:40 AM

4/11/2012 09:56:40.5524236 Information Process exited with exit code: -1 at 4/11/2012 9:56:40 AM

This basically makes it impossible to perform error handling in the external tasks.

Dror - did you get a resolution to this from QV support, or did you find a work around?

External task return error code

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:49:10 GMT

QV support have confirmed this as a bug (34870).

Re: External task return error code

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 13:14:23 GMT

I have seen this new setting in QV11 on the external task configuration, so I presume it has been fixed (although I haven't tried it yet):

Task result handling

Ignore errors (non zero return codes)

I am using 11.2 SR2.