topic Break apart Qlikview File in QlikView

Break apart Qlikview File

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:25:28 GMT

I attend Qdays in Chicago and there was a session that looked at what is new in version 10. There was one part that talked about the ability to break apart your QVW file into muliple files so you would have a load script file and a user interface file and so on. I downloaded version 10 but I can't find a way to do it. Any thoughts?

Break apart Qlikview File

Qlik_Trigg — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:45:35 GMT

Note that in version 10 we have introduced the concept of 'project definition files' - component files of the elements within a QVW. To enable the creation of these and the use of them follow the steps below. Note that in version 10 this is totally manual. There are no commands in the desktop to perform any of this. But if you are interested in local source control for your QVW definitions (without the core data and at the individual chart object/code/script level), you may find this interesting.

Setup

1. Create your QVW (e.g. test.qvw).

2. In the directory containing your QVW, create a subdirectory named after your QVW + the suffix '-prj'

a. So if I have test.qvw in directory HOME, I will create a subdirectory in HOME called 'test-prj'

3. Save your QVW

4. Check the subdirectory named after your QVW. You will find one file (either XML or text) for each element of your QVW - chart objects, macro code, script, variables, sheets etc etc. Each is a blank, code only representation of the named entity.

5. Try directly editing one of the files and then reopen your QVW. You will see that QlikView has rebuilt the layout/script etc from the definitions in the sub-directory.

Again, there are no commands in QlikView 10 to create this subdirectory or manage versions or check code in or out of any control system. But if you are interested in local source control for your QVW definitions (without the core data and at the individual chart object/code/script level) and managing and performing all operations manually, you may find this interesting. Let us know

Break apart Qlikview File

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:39:15 GMT

That was exactly what I was looking for. I think this feature opens up tons of possibilities for automating script generation.

Thanks much!

Break apart Qlikview File

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:15:20 GMT

Oops... meant to click reply not suggest as answer and there's apparently no way to undo that.

Meanwhile, I would suggest being VERY careful when using -prj folders. We have had the following problems and it led to much head-scratching before realizing the -prj folder was the culprit:

* Sheet sequencing was being reverted to the version in the -prj folder even after redoing promote / demote and saving the qvw.

* Copying a different version of the qvw into the folder above a -prj folder can cause very strange results. It appears QlikView attempts to "merge" the qvw with the -prj content???

A little too "buggy" / unpredictable for my taste!

Break apart Qlikview File

Qlik_Trigg — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:48:33 GMT

Thanks for the feedback Sue. Definitely first pass. But keen to learn more about how & what you want to use this, and dovetail into our plans to expand its capabilities. Have you logged either of these as bugs?

Break apart Qlikview File

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:56:53 GMT

I haven't John. I'm not sure either is necessarily a bug. More testing might be needed to prove whether it really meets the threshold of being a "bug" or whether a development team might really want it to work that way under certain circumstances.

It may be a "sequence of events" / "don't do this" sort of issue...

At the least, I would prefer the system gave you some sort of warning or option if it finds differences between the qvw you are opening and its project file components. I would think as a developer, there may be times you would want it to use the project files and other times you would say NO, I want to keep the version in the qvw.

Make sense?

Break apart Qlikview File

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:16:27 GMT

So I finally got around to trying this out today. Very interesting. But has anyone found any practical use in having all these "project" files?

Break apart Qlikview File

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:56:19 GMT

We haven't upgraded to Qlikview 10 yet but what I plan on doing is writting a routine that can copy a .qvw and modify the script to a different table. We have thousands of tables in our environment and maintaining qlikview scripts for all of these tables is not practical. This would allow you to

1) have a template .qvw

2) copy the template

3) modify the script to point to a different table

So when something changes or you learn something you want to apply to all your scirpts you could simply modify your routine in one place and then generate all the scripts.

Note: I plan on using SAS but any scripting language would work to accomplish this

Re: SV:Re: Break apart Qlikview File

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:07:46 GMT

I've tested to merge different versions of qvw files with this. It can be done, but currently it is a bit too much work. There are some things that complicates matters:

You don't want to store any data in the version handling system
The saving of the changed parts in the prj directory isn't stable if files are present
The file isn't broken apart if you choose Save As on a purged qvw file.
I didn't find a way to reassmble without having the qvw-file.

If you work around these obstacles it is quite straigt forward. Here is how I did. Lets say the originalfile was file.qvw

I used git for version handling.
A added a rule for git to ignore all qvd-files and all qvw-files except files that ended on "*Src.qvw".
Manually created a fileSrc-prj directory
Purged the file.qvw and saved as fileSrc.qvw. Save again to make it break apart.
Checked in all files in the prj-dir as well as the purged fileSrc.qvw. The other file is automatically ignored by my rule.
I created a branch in the version handling.
When breaking apart and resaving a file wth contents already in the prj dir, this isn't stable. I needed to remove all the files from the prj-dir and save to make it work reliably.
While working on the files in the branches, it is ok to work with the file.qvw, the fileSrc.qvw is only used when preparing a checkin and when rebuilding something from the version handling.

After work and changes done and checked in on both branches I decided to merge.

Merge on text- and xml-files in git is like magic, I just merged the branches, opened the fileSrc.qvw and I had the contents from the branches merged. I saved the fileSrc.qvw as file.qvw and continued my work.

A few changes in QlikView would perhaps make this useful:

A built in tool for rebuilding the qvw from the contents of a prj-directory alone and not having the qvw-file. With this you could ignore the qvw files altogether in version handling and that would be really nice.
Reliable saving of contents.

Olof Laurin, Senior Consultant at Tacticus AB, http://www.tacticus.se

Break apart Qlikview File

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:18:40 GMT

Thank you to all who contributed to this thread.

To sallen and olof_laurin, my findings have been similiar to yours and it was nice to read your words (eg the "Save As" doesn't work; one must perform a second "Save"). Your comments here have been very helpful.

D.Will.

ATP Engineering.

Break apart Qlikview File

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:11:40 GMT

Hi John, that all makes sense and reloading and saving generates the appropriate files.

I'm unable, though, to edit one of the files (e.g. LB01.xml) and see the changes reflected in the .qvw - any document properties need enabling in order for this to occur?

Break apart Qlikview File

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:09:24 GMT

I've done some initial testing with QlikView 11 on version handling.

It seems as the stability problems of version 10 are gone. But Save As on a purged file still does not break it apart and I've found no way of creating a file from prj-data alone. But these might not be such big issues after all.

If you configure git to ignore all .dat and all .qvw files you can work as usual with commits and merges. The problem arises when you fetch a new repository without and qvw file. But simply copying and renaming an empty qvw file solves this, when you open it, it recreates the original document (always without data).

The conclusion is that it seems as you can use git to version control QlikView 11 files quite easily.

Olof Laurin, Senior Consultant at Tacticus AB, http://www.tacticus.se

Break apart Qlikview File

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:57:57 GMT

Hi,

I am trying to overcome the problem of changes in the qvw file being overwritten by the prj folder. This happens if the qvw has been modified on the client site, then I bring it back into my development environment, which is managed using source control. I have lost changes a couple of times, because the prj files get "merged" back into the updated qvw.

If I understand your steps correctly, Olof, you suggest maintaining two qvw's (file.qvw and fileSrc.qvw)?

The only way I have got this to work, is to use Export Document Layout from file.qvw, then copy the output (xml files) into the fileSrc-prj folder. Then you need to open fileSrc.qvw, merging in the updated xml files. Only then can I check in my pending changes.

For context, I am using integrated source contorl with TFS.

Is there an easier method than I have described above, or has someone created a different thread specifically for this issue?

Regards, Michael

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:34:21 GMT

Hi Michael,

We are using TFS 2010 and QlikView 10 (not using integrated source control, but the following suggestions may still be beneficial). Earlier we had run into same/similar problematic behavior as you describe, but by following some well defined steps we’ve had fairly good luck working around it (by working with it).

Here is what we do, in the unique scenario where we wish to merge into source-control a copy of the qvw that was modified outside of our formal development environment:

In TSF Source Control (we use Source Control Explorer in Visual Studio), perform a “Check Out for Edit” against the qvw file (if you manage it under source-control).
In TSF Source Control, perform a “Check Out for Edit” against the –prj folder.
IMPORTANT: In the development environment, using Windows Explorer, delete the local contents of the –prj folder.
Copy to the qvw’s home folder the new, externally modified qvw file, thereby overwriting the existing, local copy of the file.
Open the qvw file using QlikView Desktop.
Perform a straight “Save” of the qvw file using QlikView Desktop (even if no changes have been made). This will cause QlikView Desktop to regenerate the xml files in the –prj folder (examine the folder to verify).
Optional: Close QlikView Desktop.
In TSF Source Control, kick off a “Compare” against the –prj folder; perform a “Delete” against Server Items for which there are no corresponding Local Items; perform an “Add” against Local Items for which there are no corresponding Server Items.
In TSF Source Control, perform a “Check In Pending Changes” against the –prj folder.
In TSF Source Control, perform a “Check In Pending Changes” against the qvw file (if you manage it under source-control).

I hope this is helpful.

D.Will.
ATP Engineering.

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:52:59 GMT

Thanks for the reply.

Nobody on our QlikView team are actually using Visual Studio. This is part of the reason why integrated source control in V11 is so valuable. Unfortunately, it means that the process you have outlined does not work for us.

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

jerrysvensson — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:03:26 GMT

Hi all.

An old thread but I hope someone can help us.

We have a problem with recreating Triggers on fields. When we try to recreate the application all field triggers are removed.

We are running v11 SR2, but I verified it on latest v11.2 SR3.

Are we doing something wrong?

Has anyone got Triggers working with Source control?

Steps:

Created the -prj catalog.

Open the app and saved. Xml files are created.

Deleted app and then created a blank QV app with same name.

Open app and reload.

No triggers are left.

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 11:10:46 GMT

We are using GIT with QV11 but I have an issue and some questions with the PRJ files:

The following scenario:

When I get the latest source code, the PRJ folders files are updated (datetime stamp) with latest schema.

How do I get my qvw solution refreshed with the PRJ schema?? I read on the forum that open and save as with overwrite would do the trick. If so, then I face the issue that GIT "sees" a change to that folder because I had to save it although no real changes have been made.

Am I doing something wrong in the process of getting the latest solution vs GIT?

Thx in advance

Paul.

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

jerrysvensson — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 11:43:15 GMT

To get your changes you have to open and save your app.

Publisher (qvb.exe) doesn't do that unfortunately.

We accomplish this by: qv.exe /r app.qvw and then the Publisher will reload and publish.

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 12:11:04 GMT

Yes, but my point is, when I save them, GIT sees this as a change although nothing has changed.

Re: Break apart Qlikview File

jerrysvensson — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 12:42:21 GMT

Yes. Ask Qlik about that. 🙂