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ArturoMuñoz
Employee
Employee

Custom Themes is one of the new features shipped with February release so make sure you are updated before trying to come up with your own.

 

To create a new theme, first we need to understand what exactly is a theme and what it can do for us. A custom theme is a collection of files stored in a folder, it must contain a definition (QEXT) file, a main JSON file, and optionally any other assets you might need to support the custom theme such as CSS files, custom font files, images, etc.

 

Custom themes let users to quickly apply different levels of customization to their apps, some of you might be interested in having your custom color palletes, while someone else might just need bigger font size, both can be achieved with Custom Themes. Theme authors can target individual visualization objects via JSON and/or use a custom CSS to modify the sheet styles.

 

From Qlik Help

 

The custom styles can be defined in two ways:

  • In the JSON file you define the style for the individual visualization types, for example bar charts and line charts.
  • CSS styling is more general and flexible. You can, for example, style sheets, visualizations and extensions.

 

Creating a simple custom theme

 

I'll be using Qlik Sense Desktop for this example, please check the help page for instructions on how to install a Custom Theme in Qlik Sense Server.

 

  • Go to your extensions folder: C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Qlik\Sense\Extensions
  • Create a new folder, I'll call mine theme-helloworld
  • Create a new file and rename it to theme-helloworld.qext. The QEXT file is a definition file that contains a few lines, where only name and type are the only mandatory lines.

 

 

 

{
  "name": "Hello World theme",
  "description": "My first custom theme",
  "type": "theme",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": "Arturo Muñoz"
}

 

 

 

  • Now, it's time for the JSON file. Create a new file, name it theme.json
  • Edit the theme.json file with your favorite text/code editor
  • My advice is to start your theme with the sample code you can find in Qlik Help so you can familiarize with JSON and it's properties:

 

 

{
  "_inherit": true,
  "_variables" : {
    "@greenColor" : "#61a729",
    "@text": "#4c4c4c"
  },
  "color": "@text",
  "fontSize": "12px",
  "object" : {
    "title": {
      "main": {
      "fontSize" : "16px"
      }
    }
  },
  "dataColors": {
    "primaryColor": "@greenColor"
  }
}

 

 

  • The JSON file will change the primary color of your charts from Qlik dark blue to the custom green as defined in the variable at line 4 and will also modify the charts title to a font size of 16 pixels.

    This is a simple example but there are much more you can do with the JSON file, you could for example, define new color schemes for measures, change the axis', labels, legends font size and color and much more.

    Actually you could even load your custom CSS through the JSON file so you can target and hack any predefined style within your app, so you could modify object paddings, change font family, and so forth.

 

If you've followed the steps above you should have something like:

Custom-Themes.png

 

How to activate a Custom Theme?

 

Check how to apply a Custom Theme to your app in the animation below

 

CT.gif

 

 

 

Tips from the expert... and theme sharing!

 

I've asked my colleague Nabeel Asif for some tips since he created the Custom Theme based on Color Brewer that we are sharing  today (check the attachments). This is what he said:

 

All of our standard themes just give one sequential and one diverging gradient for measures, and two color schemes for dimensions. But you can actually define as many options as you like through the “scale” and “palettes” properties in the theme’s JSON.

 

For sequential and diverging gradients, Qlik uses seven colors to define a scheme. But you don’t actually need to specify all seven colors. Just define the two colors at the extremes, and Qlik does a nice job of calculating the rest. Of course, if you want very specific colors you can define them yourself.

 

Often apps will be designed with red representing something bad or dark colors representing higher values. To maintain this look as the user switches themes, you should follow these conventions in the JSON:

  • Diverging scales should be ordered from reddish hues to bluish hues.
  • Sequential scales should be ordered from dark to light. 

 

Please don't forget to always check Qlik Help for the most recent specifications.

 

Enjoy

43 Comments
kkkumar82
Specialist III
Specialist III

Hi Arturo,

I think the heading "How to activate themes?" missed what it has to say .

One question regarding the 16px things, How it is taken for charts font size, or will take for all the sheet objects like Text objects etc, as it is mentioned under the "Object" property.

New to Json , excuse me if my question is silly.

16,632 Views
ArturoMuñoz
Employee
Employee

Hi Kiran,

Thanks for the heads up, I hope is more clear now.

Regarding the example, that JSON section will change all object font-size, it can be overwritten with specific settings if you apply object styling to a chart type in the JSON file. Check this out: https://help.qlik.com/en-US/sense-developer/February2018/Subsystems/Extensions/Content/CustomThemes/...

16,632 Views
joe_warbington
Luminary Alumni
Luminary Alumni

QlikDork (aka drr ) did a quick video of this enhancement and how to kick it up a notch by "Doing the Dew": (view full screen:  https://youtu.be/NTEVKXmLxvg )

16,632 Views
dineshsingh
Partner - Contributor III
Partner - Contributor III

Hi,

This is one of the most awaited features in Qlik Sense. How can we apply custom created theme in mashups & single configurator?

Regards

Dinesh

0 Likes
16,632 Views
dineshsingh
Partner - Contributor III
Partner - Contributor III

Got an option for single configurator but not sure about mashups..

SingCongTheme.png

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16,632 Views
ErikWetterberg

Hi,

You need to apply your theme with the new theme.apply method.  Though in a mashup you can always load your own CSS styling, use your own HTML structure etc. What's new in mashups with themes is mainly the possibility to style canvas-based visualizations.

Erik Wetterberg

Extending Qlik – Use Qlik in your own apps and sites

16,632 Views
Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi,

Didn't work for me. I followed the steps but when I tried to change it in the app nothing happens.

Any idea?

My version of Qlik Sense is February 2018 (qliksensedesktop 12.5.2)

0 Likes
13,570 Views
dineshsingh
Partner - Contributor III
Partner - Contributor III

Thanks, Worked for me. 🙂

13,570 Views
dineshsingh
Partner - Contributor III
Partner - Contributor III

Dear Jordi,

Please add the below code in you JS file with correct theme name.

qlik.theme.apply('my-theme-id').then(function(result){ alert('theme applied with result: ' + result); });


Also, please have a look at this post as well.  Chaning Qlik Sense Mashup's theme?



Thanks

Dinesh

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13,570 Views
BI_Dev
Creator II
Creator II

.qv-client.qv-dense #sheet-title.sheet-grid {

font-size: 30px; /* Default: 22px */

color: #737373; /* Default: #b0afae */

/* font-weight: bold; */

}

I have above script which changes the font size of the Title of the chart but need another set of script to change the font size of the text within the chart.Any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

0 Likes
13,570 Views