Data manager vs scripting

[Ken_Hardwick]

Hello,

I am about to start a new project and I am considering if I need to continue to do the data load scripting myself or if using the data manager is better. I am still relatively new and slow with scripting but I have managed to do some fairly complex work so happy to continue down this route but though I would see what the communities views on these two routes are. Especially now that I am starting with a clean slate.

What is the best route to take?

Thanks

[ArnadoSandoval · Accepted solution]

Hi @Ken_Hardwick 

Interesting question, you may end combining both of them.

Data Manager:

• If your data requires little massaging when loading it, the DM is good.
• It has lots of features and Qlik keep improving it, but sometimes these features are tricky to understand (The DM is good for you if you don't mind the time learning new features)
• If you like to track your loading process with logs and statistics, perhaps the DM is not that good.
• You do not have to learn the scripting language, as time goes by your scripting knowledge will diminish, because you could miss in new features or forget old tricks. 

Scripting:

• It is time consuming.
• You got full control and responsibility of the loading process.
• Excellent when the solution requires lots of transformations.
• You really understand the dashboard's data model, you know each bit of it as you implement several business rules.
• You can optimize the data model as you can implement ApplyMap, something I do not believe possible in the DM.
• It is better suit to implement tracking and debugging code and tables.
• You can generate intermediate QVDs for later consumption.

You can combine both, you can use the Data Manager to load the solution's QVDs and later add section to the script before and after the Data Manager locked session. This is a great feature.

I hope my comments are helpful and hope other members comment as well, it is a very interesting question!

[Ken_Hardwick · Accepted solution]

Hi @ArnadoSandoval ,

Great response, it's very helpful.

Thank you

[veronicahernand]

Thank you @ArnadoSandoval !!!

I have been working with Qlik 2+ years and the truth is I have never used data manager... I am learning about the features of data manager because I am studying for the DA certificate...

One of the topics of the exam is learning when to use data manager/data load editor... I guess, data manager is used only if the app is easy to make... I am not able to find another reason to choose data manager over data load editor.

Thank you very much

[ArnadoSandoval]

Hi @veronicahernand 

The Data Manager is a late coming feature in the Qlik ecosystem, but it is under continuous improvements, its earlier incarnation were pretty simple, but we should admit it is becoming stronger as new versions are deployed.

We learned Qlik Scripting first, and resolved many challenges with it over the years, so it is very difficult for us to change our ways to think, still the data manager deserve our attention, to me, balancing them, script-data manager is perhaps the best way to think about it.

The Data Manager is becoming very flexible for people with no coding experience, some managers and middle managers can tackle qlik solution with the data manager.

Regards,