topic Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression in QlikView

Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:20:03 GMT

Hello

I've got a stacked bar chart with two dimensions (First, Second) and one measure (Measure).

The chart's second dimension (Second) is specified by an expression and is based on the value of a variable:

fx = if ($(myVar)=1, [DimensionX], [DimensionY])

For the coloration I would like the colors to be based on the value(s) of the active dimension; ie, I need to dynamically color by dimension.

Under the Colors setting I chose Custom > By Dimension and specified the above expression in the Dimension expression box.

This does not work. All of the colors turn to gray!

Some observations from playing around:

specifying either [DimensionX] or [DimensionY] alone in the Dimension expression box displays colors, but obviously only when myVar is set to match the value I've specified there. Since I need to dynamically switch between them, this is not a solution.
it appears that anything in the expression box other than just [DimensionX] or [DimensionY] fails. For example the expression: if(true(),[DimensionX]) fails even when myVar=1.
if there is anything (including whitespace!!!) either before or after the [DimensionX], that fails too.
It's like they put an expression editor in the Custom Colors By Dimension setting, but you're not supposed to put an expression in it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

rubenmarin — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:20:04 GMT

Hi Steven, color by expression expect a color code, ie:

If(ThisYearSales>LastYearSales, Green(), RGB(255,0,0))

In your case:

if ($(myVar)=1, Color1, Color2)

https://help.qlik.com/en-US/sense/November2017/Subsystems/Hub/Content/Colors/color-by-expression.htm

https://help.qlik.com/en-US/sense/November2017/Subsystems/Hub/Content/ChartFunctions/ColorFunctions/color-functions-char…

To keep a color for each dimension value you can try with:

if ($(myVar)=1, Color(FieldIndex('DimensionX', [DimensionX])), Color(FieldIndex('DimensionY', [DimensionY])))

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:08:39 GMT

Just to be clear, I'm using the expression function under Color by Dimension, not Color by Expression.

And it seems that (at least in this version of QlikSense) anything but a single dimension name; eg [Dimension1], in the expression box causes loss of all color.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

rubenmarin — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:33:50 GMT

It needs to return only one value and Aggr() can return more than one value, set the expression as:

=if($(myVar)=1, [DimensionX], [DimensionY]) // With the starting '='

This doesn't works?

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 18:33:10 GMT

I agree what you've specified should work. But it doesn't.

The only way I can make it work is if I express it as such:

$(=chr(39)&if(myVar=1,'DimensionX','DimensionY')&chr(39))

Which to me seems like a unnecessarily complicated expression.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

rubenmarin — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 19:56:59 GMT

It works for me, have you set the starting '='?

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 13:47:15 GMT

My chart is a little more complicated. I've modified your example to include an instance of what I'm seeing.

I cannot get proper segment colors to appear without doing what I've described earlier.

Perhaps you can make it work? I appreciate your assistance.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

rubenmarin — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 13:52:00 GMT

I tried "=if($(var2)=1,D3,D4)" and seems to work, can you try?

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 13:57:35 GMT

Seems to work in this instance, let me apply it to my original application and see.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 16:59:33 GMT

One final modification: Gave the fields slightly more complex names and qualified them. This is closer to our actual app now.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:11:52 GMT

It appears that spaces in the names of the fields used as dimensions will break the expression parsing for Color by Dimension using expression.

=if (var=1,DimensionX,DimensionY) //works

=if (var=1,DimensionX foo,DimensionY) // does not

=if (var=1,[DimensionX foo],DimensionY) // does not

=if (var=1,'DimensionX foo',DimensionY) // does not

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

rubenmarin — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:12:36 GMT

Hi made some test and the problem comes when fields has an empty space. I couldn't find a solution, a workaround can be:

- renaming the field to remove blank spaces

- create another field based on this one given a non-blank-spaces name

- wait for another community member that gives a solution

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:14:24 GMT

I'm pretty sure this used to work properly in previous versions of QlikSense otherwise we'd have experienced this problem long ago. I'll bring it to the attention of Qlik support. Thank you very much for your efforts.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 20:51:25 GMT

A partial solution (only works in some cases) is to use double quotes around the field names:

=if (var=1,"DimensionX foo",DimensionY)

But it seems to be dependent on the "size" of the dimension.

Ruben, would you be so kind as to tell me what version of QlikSense you tested on? Qlik claims to not see this problem on the latest version. I was using v3.2 SR4.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

rubenmarin — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 09:38:16 GMT

Hi Steven, I used the september version.

I can't try right now the double quote option.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

stascher — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:38:58 GMT

I've consulted with Qlik support. They've verified that it's a bug in Qlik and has been addressed in the latest version.

Re: Qlik Sense Custom Color by Dimension expression

mansoorsheraz — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 17:59:53 GMT

Hi,
When I use this "color by expression" feature QlikSense disables the Legends. Is there a way to overcome this issue so that we have the custom colored graphs and the legends stay on.

Regards.