topic Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables in QlikView

Issues with Alternate State and Variables

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 23:25:02 GMT

Hello!

We are facing some issues when using Alternate State and Variables,

We have a chart that uses vMaxAño variable and uses alternate states. We also have a listbox for selecting years (2013, 2014 and 2015)

When selecting a year sometimes the varible vMaxAño fails to update its value so if we select for instance 2013 the variable value remains in 2015 for some odd reason.

When minimizing the chart there doesn't seem to be a problem with the variable's value. We added a text object that shows vMaxAño variable value. As you can see, we selected 2013 but the text box shows 2015. We have made several tests but we can't figure out what is going on

Is this a normal or expected behaviour when using alternate states and variables?

We have attached a simple demo that presents the issue. You have to select the year (Año) a few times till it randomly fails

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 21:59:54 GMT

I am also finding this issue in one of my apps. How can we bump this to get answered?

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

SergeyMak — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 02:56:33 GMT

Hi David,

If you share your app or an example I will be happy to help.

It's hard to say what's wrong without the actual app with the issue

Regards,
Sergey

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 03:10:36 GMT

Thanks Sergey, I have attached an app that should illustrate the issue. There seems to be inconsistent handling of the variable when it is used in an on-screen object in an alternate state via a $-expansion.

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 19:45:42 GMT

Hey Sergey,

I tested more today and updated the app with my observations and a better method to reproduce the issue. I still have not found a reliable way to reproduce the issue (it is very inconsistent), so you may need to poke around quite a bit to reproduce it. Instructions are in the app.

Thanks for your attention on this.

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

rwunderlich — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 20:29:07 GMT

I can't reproduce the problem, but I do think you have too many equal signs defined. Perhaps that is a consequence of a simplified example, maybe not.

When you define the variable with an "=", it's value is calculated only once, in the default context. In this case

When you reference it with $(), you are causing the value (a number in this case) to be evaluated again. Then the "=" within the $() causes it be evaluated again. So three evaluations at different times. Again not sure how this relates to your real world app, but I could see it causing potential confusion.

-Rob

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

rwunderlich — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 20:44:11 GMT

Interesting. Your second example is clearer. I can reproduce on QV11 SR13, but I can't reproduce on QV12.

-Rob

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

SergeyMak — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 01:05:27 GMT

Hi David,

I've created your vCase1 like that

=If(Only({$}user_name) = 'David', 100

, If(Only({$}user_name) = 'Jonathan', 200

, If(Only({$}user_name)='Robert',300)))

and have no issues, but old version is still affected.

Regards,

Sergey

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 21:38:06 GMT

FYI - I got this escalated to Qlik technical support. Here is their reply:

I am reaching out to you to let you know that I heard back from R&D on this bug. R&D recognizes that this is an actual deficiency. However, as the issue is fixed in QlikView 12.0 and the high level of risk involved in implementing a fix for it in the 11.2 version of the product, they have decided not to fix this bug in the 11.2 version of the product.

So this was accepted as an actual bug in the software, but since this was fixed in version 12.0, no action will be taken to remedy this.

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:31:52 GMT

Hi,

i'm facing the same issue in QV 12.1. In 11.2 SR7 it worked well, and now i have no solution in QV 12.1

EDIT:
wow ok, it seems the bug came back.

qv12.1 SR 6 =Same issue

qv12.1 SR 3 =Same issue

qv12.1 SR 2 =Same issue

qv12.1 SR 1 =Same issue

qv12.0 SR 5 =Same issue

qv12.0 SR1 =everything works well

qv12.0 SR4 =everything works well

so qv12.0 SR4 seems to be the last version without this issue

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

rwunderlich — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 18:33:23 GMT

I see this interesting item in the 12.10 SR7 Release Notes:

"What’s new in QlikView 12.10 SR7

QlikView 12.10 SR7 includes only bug fixes. One behavior change between 11.20 and 12.x has been high-lighted regarding Alternate states and variables; In QV11.20 the variable was expanded in the first state encountered and this resulted in a random behavior when more than one alternate state was being used. Whereas in version 12 and up, the variable always belongs to a specific alternate state and this results in different behavior. Full details on the implications is described in a Support article, please contact Qlik Support if you need more information."

I've written up an extended explanation here: QV12 Variables with Alt State Fixed | Qlikview Cookbook

-Rob

http://masterssummit.com

http://qlikviewcookbook.com

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

kmstephenson — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 14:41:08 GMT

Is this the same problem as to why this no longer works in QlikView 12?

=COUNT(DISTINCT {<var1_ind={1},var2_desc={'=IF(%Var2Desc=''Var2Desc1Abbrev'',''Var2Desc1Expand'',
IF(%ReadmissionMeasure=''Var2Desc2Abbrev'',''Var2Desc2Expand'',
IF(%ReadmissionMeasure=''Var2Desc3Abbrev'', Var2Desc3Expand'',''Var2Desc4'')))'},var3_ind={1}>} Key)

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

rwunderlich — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 17:00:33 GMT

The quotes are backwards per the current spec. The outside quotes should be double quotes.

"=IF(%Var2Desc=....

The inner quotes should be single:

"=IF(%Var2Desc='Var2Desc1Abbrev'...

-Rob

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

kmstephenson — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 17:08:06 GMT

Hi Rob,

I also switched to this and it still did not resolve correctly, although no error message is shown and it reads "Expression OK". Is there anything else I could be missing? I checked to make sure that the IF expression resolves correctly outside of the Set Analysis. I also removed the IF and checked the value when var2_desc is hardcoded, and there wasn't a problem with the Set Analysis then.

=COUNT(DISTINCT {<var1_ind={1},var2_desc={"=IF(%Var2Desc='Var2Desc1Abbrev','Var2Desc1Expand',
IF(%Var2Desc='Var2Desc2Abbrev','Var2Desc2Expand',
IF(%Var2Desc='Var2Desc3Abbrev', Var2Desc3Expand','Var2Desc4')))"},var3_ind={1}>} Key)

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

rwunderlich — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 18:06:02 GMT

It makes sense that the quote change didn't fix it, as it won't be enforced until the Sept 2017 release.

I'll admit I don't quite understand what the expression is supposed to be doing. Can you explain?

-Rob

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

kmstephenson — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 18:16:20 GMT

So there is no workaround in the 12.10 version?

I have a listbox of %Var2Desc, that requires always one selected value.

Var2Dimension:

LOAD * INLINE [%Var2Desc

Var2Desc1Abbrev

Var2Desc2Abbrev

Var2Desc3Abbrev

Var2Desc4bbrev

];

My charts on the sheet update based on what measure is selected in %Var2Desc. The fields are coming in on the dataset as var2_desc, but the values are not abbreviated and too long for the listbox that I want to use to toggle between measures.

Specifically, my data is based on different readmission measures (HEDIS, CMS MSSP, etc.) but I dummied up the code above to try to make it easier to read.

Does this make sense?

Re: Issues with Alternate State and Variables

rwunderlich — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 01:53:54 GMT

I think I understand. You say it worked in QV11.20? If so, I would take the issue to QT support.

-Rob