how to create hyperlinks to files on local network from table

[daveatkins]

I found how to create a link representation of a table cell, but this does not work for files due to URL encoding. For example if you create an expression like

='file://\\servername\folder\documents\$(vDepartment)\$(vFileID).PDF'

then this will be rendered with the backlash characters converted into hex values and will not work when users click on it. Is there a way to make this work in QlikSense?

Also read about content libraries, but the issue is that our app is referencing an existing network file share with about 60-100K files on it, so it is not practical to set up anything on the Qlik server that would require someone to manually maintain the file system.

Another option I thought of is to wrap the file reference in a refer script on a web server; e.g. have the urls pass the file name through so that the href is not having the windows UNC conventions or file:// protocol. For example, links could be something like this:

='http://mynewwebserver/cgi-bin/refer.php?Department='+$(vDepartment)+'\'+'&FileID='+$(vFileID).PDF'

To restate: Is it possible in QlikSense, April 2020 version, to configure a table cell to cause a user clicking the link from Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, to open a PDF file from an internal network file location that does not require using the http protocol?

[marcus_sommer]

AFAIK the problem isn't on the Qlik side else the browsers prevent the access to the file-system in regard to their security policies. I don't know if this is really hard-coded or if it could be anywhere configured in their settings. If it would be really sensible to change such settings if it would be possible - probably not because all browsers act in the same way and there are surely reasons for it and each user would need to change these settings (which may also require admin-rights).

A workaround which we have applied to some applications in QlikView is to use mailto: and applying the file-link into the subject. With this approach a new mail is opened within the standard mail-tool from the user, the user clicks on the subject and closed the mail again - means two additional clicks. Not very nice but in our case practically enough.

- Marcus

[daveatkins]

I am pretty sure the problem is on the Qlik side, but in the end it was easier to set up a web server to solve my urgent need. As an example, I can have link in Qlik like this
file://ccdata01/DATA01/EFT/DecisionSupport/QlikView/Imaging
and if I copy the cell value and paste into a web browser, it will work (actually browsing the directory), but if I click on the link in Qlik, nothing happens at all. It does not send a request to the web server as far as I know.

For example, this is a valid URL in a browser:
file://ccdata01/DATA01/EFT/DecisionSupport/QlikView/Imaging

[marcus_sommer]

It's exactly what I meant. The link itself is valid and directly entered within the browser it worked but the click on a file-link from a website required an additionally processing within the browser and here comes the security matters first. To validate this you may try it with any other (test) website which didn't run on Sense or with a Qlik webserver.

- Marcus