QLIK SENSE v QLIK VIEW

Henric Cronström

One of the main goals for Qlik Sense was to have one unified client that could run on anything (=html5). Another goal was to generalize the chart drawing code, so that more graph types could be implemented (=extensions). A third goal was that the client needed to be adaptable to screen sizes and form factors.

 These three goals meant total incompatibility with the existing C++ client, and - unfortunately - only a partial backward compatibility. So, we had to start developing from scratch, but to re-implement all functionality from QlikView 11 in a new tool would take a very long time. And, we just haven't done it yet...

https://community.qlik.com/blogs/qlikviewdesignblog/2014/07/29/view-or-sense

Qlik Sense is not just a new release of QlikView. Instead it is something different. But there are still so many similarities between the two products, so I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a blog post to differences and similarities between the two.

 Basically, the two products are two different user interfaces to the same analysis engine. This means that old scripts and old formulae will (almost) always work exactly the same way as before. (There are some smaller differences in that Qlik Sense uses libraries, and cannot always use relative paths for files.)

 Hence, the two products both have the same Green-White-Grey logic; both use the same calculation engine; both have roughly the same response times; and you should use the same considerations for both when it comes to data modelling. This also means that many of the previous posts here on the Design Blog are just as relevant for Qlik Sense as for Qlik View.

 But the two products are still very different. And just as a parent cannot say that one child is better than the other, I cannot say that one product is better than the other. They are good at different things:

 

Qlik Sense is a tool for situations where you don’t want to pre-can so much. Instead you want the user to have the freedom to create a layout of his own and in it, new visualizations; charts that the developer couldn’t imagine that the user wants to see. You want Self-service data discovery, which means a much more active, modern, engaged user. In addition, Qlik Sense is much easier to use when you have a touch screen, and is adaptive to different screen sizes and form factors. On the whole, Qlik Sense is a much more modern tool.

INDEX1 Best View features retained

2 Updating Apps on the Server

3 A more Modern Product

4 Easier to Use

5 Better Tables

6 Screen adapts to screen sizes and form factors.

7 Story Telling

8 Self Service

9 Re-useable Master Items.

10 Set up Visualizations and Sheets more quickly

11 Better looking more modern Graphical Visualizations

12 Personal Edition

NoteThe naming structure for Qlik is as follows:

Streams >> Hub >> Apps >> Sheets >> Visualization

So Apps contain one or more sheets. And sheets contain one or more visualizations.

This is a visualization

1 Best VIEW features retained

Qlik Sense includes (close to identical) the best features in Qlik View. These could be improved on but would be to further improve an already outstanding product in these areas. So it’s possible to drag and drop a VIEW App onto SENSE and automatically create new script. The formula’s need to be copied and pasted in the new App though. These main features are:

Script. This includes writing script to load, cleanse, transform if required and join data from many sources. This is very powerful and I was able to do everything I wanted in a logical way. For example it included tools to make loading data easy when not in an appropriate format rather than having to transform in Excel or another option. Like budgets when the months are spread over many column rather than two (period and value) where a QLIK cross-table feature was used.

Data warehouse. Excel has a powerful in built data warehouse. This means the expense and time is not needed to buy another product and employ another skill set to set up separate data warehouse (it can however be done if preferred).

QVD incremental files. Loading data from QVD files can be 10 - 50 quicker than from other sources. This allows the option of setting up powerful incremental data loads. When one initial QLIK load is done for all the required data for a period (say the last 5-10 years). This is saved to a new QVD files (one new QLIK App is developed to do this). Then another new QLIK App is used to only load additional data on an incremental / additional basis. It also includes a straight forward way to not load twice old amended records (where not exists). Or to remove from the QVD file deleted record (inner join). For example I created QVD files for all the necessary tables in Tesseract. One QVD for one Tesseract table (QVD files can be combined or the names changed etc. if required but I found it easier and clearer to keep the same Tesseract names and same file structure. Transformations were then done in the final App by loading from the QVDs).

Formulas / metrics. I could do everything I have done in Excel. And more. And the requirements for aftermarket exception checking in Aftermarket were very complex.

Restrict access as required. Either by App, by sheet in an App or by field e.g. only view UK data in an App. This also includes allowing or disabling Excel exports.

There are still features missing in SENSE. Like triggers where filters / selections can be pre-set when entering a sheet. Or drill around. But these features will be introduced in future releases.

Printing also need further improvements NB. This will be done when N Printing is released for SENSE. Where sheets can be automatically set up to be transferred at times and to users as required into Excel, Outlook, Word, a PDF documents or to an internet sheet etc.

And it’s fairly obvious that the QLIK focus is now on SENSE. VIEW on the other hand is a fairly mature product where only limited improvements can or will be done in the future.

2 Updating Apps on the Server The only way this could be done in VIEW was to download the App to the desktop and update using the desktop version. This means that two identical structures had to be maintained. One on the server and one on the desktop. This was a bit of a pain. SENSE can now update Apps directly on the server as well as the desktop.

3 A more Modern Product He interface looks more modern. SENSE includes drag and drop rather than doing everything in the visualization.

4 Easier to Use I find both very easy to use. But users who are not strong with computer / data reporting tools clearly seemed to find SENSE easier to operate. Although this is based on a small sample size. But the selection / filter bar in SENSE is much improved and easier to explain compared to VIEW.

5 Better Tables The tables in VIEW was it strongest point. But if a large amount of data was in either a Pivot or Straight table it was slow to scroll up or down. SENSE has overcome this issue. This is a minor issue but makes a big difference when this is required.

6 Screen adapts to screen sizes and form factors. A SENSE sheet will be automatically adjusted on a tablet or phone to fit.

EXAMPLE. This sheet on a computer screen is changed for a smaller screen (smart phone).

Large screen

Two screen examples on a Smaller screen

Qlik Sense automatically reallocates the visualisations to best fit the smaller screen.

7 Story Telling (I couldn’t initially see the point of this). But it’s a powerful feature that allows a PowerPoint type presentation to be very quickly set up where the visualization in the presentation can be linked back to the live data.

An example is shown below. Where a map can be presented for all products and linked back to the live data if an attendee at the presentation wants to just see say just one brand.

Take a photo of a visualization in an App:

Copy into a presentation:

Set up new story:

During a presentation. Right click to go to source

8 Self Service The option is available if required. But restricted. For example Anne may have the option of creating new visualizations on the server. She may be able to share these visualization / sheets with her team only. Mathew may be able to create new visualizations but not share them with anyone in SENSE. Cathy may be able to only view and interact (drill down as required) approved Apps but not set up or share new sheets / visualizations.

NB all users only have access to approved fields (e.g. Customers), restricted by approved entries in these fields (e.g. say only Customer = JDW) and metrics that have already been set up (e.g. Sales Revenue). This is explained below under Re-Usable Master Items Refer 9 below.

This examples can be seen on the Qlik website.

https://sense-demo.qlik.com/sense/app/372cbc85-f7fb-4db6-a620-9a5367845dce/sheet/1cb202ec-3d8f-4755-95c4-3028bc10af16/state/analysis

The above App has already been developed. If a user has permission to access this App they can access the App and drill down as required etc.

But if this button appear the user can also create new visualizations

By clicking on the above edit button

This creates a new sheet as shown below.

In the hub SENSE now have 5 Base sheets and 1 My sheets. But the user may not have the permission to share their new sheets with other. Or see sheets shared by members of the team they are in. But if given permission the user would see two additional categories. Shared sheets. And My shared sheets. The user would simple right click on a sheet that they want to share and then share with one or more approved sharing groups. This is one of my favourite new features in SENSE.

9 Re-useable Master Items. This is needed for self-service. Master items can be set up by the QLIK administrator(s) / developers for Dimension (fields), Metrics (formulas) or Visualizations. These are then dragged onto a visualization or sheet as required during self-service. Or an approved developer during Base Sheet creation.

Dimensions

These are set up as shown below. Once set up only these dimension are available to self-service users. The following example shows how to set up a drill down dimensions. But both drill down and single dimensions can be set up. In future a drill around dimensions will be included

A drill down dimension after completed

Metrics

At times the structure of QLIK requires quite tricky metrics. For example

Sales App the metric for Sales Plan variance is

sum ({< DateType = {Invoice} >}[SalesUS$] )

+sum ({< DateType = {Invoice}, SOType ={ Orders},Group ={MthLoad} >} [SOsUSMth$] )

-sum ({<DateType = {Invoice}, Group = {Plan}>}[ForecastUS] )

Or for the Service tracker the metrics for YTD Revenue is

Sum( {$<[Month] = {"<=$(=Max([Month]))"},Group = {Actual} >} Amount )

In SENSE these can be set a as master item. To be used on visualization when required

10 Set up Visualizations and Sheets more quickly This has been a very big improvement. Professional looking sheets and visualisations can be set up in minutes rather than hours.

This Tree map example below was done by me after the script and metrics was set up by an approved QLIK developer (me).

The TreeMap and selection / filter options sheet took me 5 minutes to set up after the metrics and dimension were available. It was a matter of drag and drop and ticking a value label option.

11 Better looking more modern Graphical Visualizations This is Qlik View. It’s still good but IMO clearly not anywhere near as good as SENSE.

Examples of Qlik View are shown here

http://eu-b.demo.qlik.com/

Examples of Qlik Sense are here.

http://sense-demo.qlik.com/

12 Personal Edition This is free and provides another option to Excel.

At times users need an option without having to go through the time consuming approval and set up process required to use a server product like Qlik.

That’s why Excel is so popular and will continue to be so. The problem is often Excel is used and produces unreliable data and / or reports.

Qlik SENSE provides an option only to overcome this issue. SENSE has been developed in a way where Apps can be shared from one user to another one.

So approved SENSE App developers could be given permission to access only (not updating) certain QVD files (as opposed to extracting data direct from the EPR) and set up a one off report from scratch on their personal edition. If this report is useful as an ongoing report this could then be transferred to the QLIK control team as a recommended official new App.

Another possible option is to use the Personal Edition in situations as I have with accounting reconciliations. These jobs were being done in Excel but were time consuming and messy. Qlik Sense made the job much easier and quicker. Yet it would not fit well on the server. The Personal Edition is perfect for one person jobs like this.

I set the App up on my Personal edition. Then transferred the App to the person doing the reconciliation. VIEW would not allow this. Apps could not be shared with the personal edition.

Another option might be when doing month end and say the QAD extracts are only done daily. Personal edition Apps could be set up to combine both QVD files and .NET downloads. This is the way I would have done the Service Tracker if QAD data was available using an ODBC connection.

It would allow the QLIK implementation and update team to focus on the big issues and not be distracted by some of these smaller matters.

Robert Hutchings