¶ QlikView
¶ Advanced Technologies
¶ Introduction to QlikView: A Human-Centric Beginning to an Analytical Journey
When people talk about advanced technologies shaping modern organizations, they often think about artificial intelligence, automation, or cloud-native architectures. But if you quietly observe the inner workings of successful companies, you’ll notice a deeper, subtler force driving nearly every strategic decision: the ability to interpret data thoughtfully and transform it into meaningful insights. This power—this capacity to see patterns, relationships, risks, and opportunities—has become the backbone of modern decision-making. And this is exactly where QlikView steps into the spotlight.
Over the years, business intelligence tools have evolved from simple reporting systems to intelligent data engines capable of reshaping entire industries. Yet very few tools have managed to combine speed, intuition, flexibility, and depth as gracefully as QlikView. It doesn’t overwhelm you with rigid workflows or lock you into narrow patterns of thinking. Instead, it acts as an extension of human curiosity—giving you the freedom to explore data the same way your mind naturally works. That is the reason QlikView has held a uniquely respected place in the world of analytics for so long.
This course, spanning a full hundred articles, is designed to immerse you in the world of QlikView with clarity and confidence, helping you not just learn the platform but understand the philosophy behind it. QlikView isn’t just a tool; it’s a way of engaging with data that feels dynamic, conversational, and open-ended. Before we dive into the deeper layers—expression editors, set analysis, scripting best practices, data modeling logic, visualization building, performance tuning, and advanced associative analytics—let’s begin with the question that often gets overlooked: why QlikView matters.
QlikView emerged during a period when businesses were struggling with fragmented data. Teams were drowning in spreadsheets, database exports, and disconnected systems. Decision-makers wanted one thing above all: the ability to ask a question, get an answer, and follow their curiosity without waiting for a technical team to prepare reports for them. QlikView’s associative engine changed that dynamic. Instead of forcing data into fixed dashboards, it created a world where every click opened new avenues of exploration. It allowed users to see not just the data they selected but also the relationships hidden behind the scenes—what was included, what wasn’t, and what might matter more than the question they originally asked.
This freedom is what makes QlikView so compelling. It doesn’t tell you what to think. It gives you the space to think.
In many ways, QlikView feels less like software and more like a conversation partner. When you click on a value, the engine instantly recalculates every chart, table, and field, showing you how everything else changes in response. It mirrors the natural flow of human analysis—one thought leading to another, one discovery opening the door to the next. Traditional BI tools often restrict exploration, but QlikView embraces it, encouraging you to go deeper, question assumptions, clarify anomalies, and discover narratives inside the data that weren’t visible before.
And that’s only one part of the story. Behind the interactive interface lies a robust data engine that can pull information from countless sources, clean it, transform it, and model it into a structure that supports fast, intuitive analysis. It respects the complexities of real-world data, acknowledging that not everything comes neatly packaged or perfectly structured. QlikView’s scripting environment and data modeling capabilities give analysts and developers the power to shape data creatively—turning raw information into a well-connected analytical model.
As you progress through this course, you will begin to appreciate how much thought and engineering has gone into making QlikView feel effortless. The associative model isn’t just a clever idea; it’s a profound shift in how data relationships are understood. The expression engine isn’t just a formula editor; it’s a powerful analytical canvas. The synthetic keys, circular references, mapping tables, and link tables you will encounter aren’t just technical concepts; they represent the architecture that makes flexible and exploratory analytics possible.
What many people admire about QlikView is that it invites users of all backgrounds into the world of data—not just developers or data engineers. A finance manager, marketer, supply chain analyst, or operations lead can interact with the same system as a seasoned technical professional. QlikView bridges this gap with a design philosophy that values clarity over complexity. And yet, beneath that simplicity lies remarkable depth. You can start with simple filters and selections, but the more you explore the scripting layer, the data load editor, the expressions, and set analysis, the more you realize just how much power the system offers.
This duality—simplicity for beginners, power for experts—is rare in the world of advanced analytics tools.
And perhaps the most compelling aspect of QlikView is how it changes the culture of decision-making. Organizations that adopt it often find themselves having richer discussions, more nuanced debates, and more informed strategies. When everyone is working from the same consistent, fully associative data model, misunderstandings fade. People stop arguing about which numbers are correct and start discussing what those numbers mean. Data becomes a shared language rather than a contested territory.
This course will help you understand that language. It will show you not just which buttons to click, but why QlikView behaves the way it does. You’ll explore the logic behind data associations, the meaning of green/white/grey selections, the art of creating efficient data models, and the techniques used to build dashboards that tell compelling stories. You’ll learn how to think like a Qlik developer, how to structure your data load scripts, how to avoid common modeling pitfalls, and how to create expressions that bring insights to life.
Along the way, you’ll discover how QlikView fits into the broader evolution of business intelligence. Today’s analytics world is filled with buzzwords—augmented analytics, predictive intelligence, data fabric, real-time streaming data—but the fundamental goal remains the same: making better decisions. QlikView may not shout as loudly as newer tools, but its foundation is timeless. Speed, clarity, exploration, and user empowerment are principles that don’t fade. And this course will help you see how those principles come to life in every layer of the platform.
Over the span of these hundred articles, you will move from curiosity to mastery. You will learn how to extract data from multiple systems, cleanse and merge it, build a logical data model, design dashboards, optimize performance, and bring insights into the hands of stakeholders who depend on them. You will understand why QlikView continues to be a trusted choice for organizations that value analytical depth, stability, and control.
Every article will add another piece to the puzzle. One day you’ll be working with the script editor. Another day you’ll be learning advanced set analysis. Another day you’ll experiment with incremental loading, synthetic key resolution, or expression debugging. Bit by bit, QlikView will start to feel familiar, even comfortable. And eventually, you’ll reach a point where you can look at a problem—whether it’s a messy dataset, a need for real-time insights, or a request for an executive dashboard—and instinctively know how to approach it using QlikView’s capabilities.
But for now, take this moment as the beginning of a larger journey. Understanding QlikView opens the door not only to analytical proficiency but also to a mindset of curiosity and exploration. It teaches you to look beyond the surface of numbers and discover the patterns that shape decisions. It reminds you that data is not just a technical resource—it is a reflection of reality, with all its nuances, complexities, and possibilities.
This introduction marks the starting line of your deep dive into a world where data speaks more clearly, insights unfold more naturally, and decision-making becomes a more thoughtful and informed process. As you continue through the course, you’ll not just learn QlikView—you’ll learn how to communicate with data in a way that is sharper, richer, and more intuitive.
Welcome to the journey. Welcome to QlikView.
¶ QlikView
I. QlikView Foundations (1-15)
1. What is Business Intelligence?
2. Introduction to QlikView: Discovering Data Insights
3. Understanding QlikView's Associative Data Model
4. Key Features of QlikView: Speed, Flexibility, and Discovery
5. Exploring the QlikView Interface: Designer and AccessPoint
6. Understanding QlikView Documents (.qvw)
7. Connecting to Data Sources: Databases, Files, and Web
8. Introduction to QlikView Scripting: Loading and Transforming Data
9. Basic Scripting Commands: LOAD, SELECT, FROM, WHERE
10. Creating Your First QlikView Application: A Step-by-Step Guide
11. Understanding QlikView Objects: Charts, Tables, and Controls
12. Creating Basic Charts: Bar Charts, Pie Charts, and Line Charts
13. Working with Tables: Straight Tables and Pivot Tables
14. Introduction to QlikView Expressions: Calculations and Aggregations
15. Saving and Sharing QlikView Applications
II. Data Loading and Transformation (16-30)
16. Advanced Data Loading Techniques: Incremental Loads, Mapping
17. Working with Different Data File Formats: CSV, Excel, XML
18. Connecting to Databases: ODBC, OLE DB
19. Data Modeling in QlikView: Creating Relationships between Tables
20. Understanding Key Concepts: Primary Keys, Foreign Keys, and Synthetic Keys
21. Data Cleaning and Transformation: Handling Missing Values, Duplicates
22. String Functions: Manipulating Text Data
23. Date and Time Functions: Working with Dates and Times
24. Numeric Functions: Performing Calculations
25. Conditional Statements: IF, THEN, ELSE
26. Loops and Iterations: FOR, WHILE
27. Using Variables in QlikView Scripting
28. Creating Calculated Fields: Derived Metrics
29. Data Aggregation and Grouping
30. Optimizing Data Load Performance
III. QlikView Objects and Visualizations (31-45)
31. Deep Dive into QlikView Charts: Bar Charts, Line Charts, Pie Charts, etc.
32. Creating Advanced Charts: Combo Charts, Scatter Plots, Gauge Charts
33. Working with Tables: Straight Tables, Pivot Tables, and Cross Tables
34. Understanding Table Properties and Formatting
35. Creating Interactive Tables: Sorting, Filtering, and Drill-Down
36. Using Containers to Organize Objects
37. Working with Text Boxes and Labels
38. Adding Images and Logos to QlikView Applications
39. Creating Input Boxes and List Boxes for User Input
40. Implementing Drill-Through Functionality
41. Using Bookmarks to Save Views
42. Creating and Managing QlikView Themes
43. Formatting QlikView Objects for Enhanced Presentation
44. Exploring QlikView Extensions and Add-ons
45. Building Dashboards with QlikView
IV. QlikView Expressions and Functions (46-60)
46. Advanced QlikView Expressions: Set Analysis
47. Understanding Set Analysis Syntax and Operators
48. Using Set Analysis for Advanced Calculations
49. Working with Aggregation Functions: Sum, Count, Average, Min, Max
50. Statistical Functions: Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation
51. Financial Functions: NPV, IRR, FV, PV
52. String Functions: Substring, Left, Right, Mid, Len, Trim
53. Date and Time Functions: Year, Month, Day, Weekday, Hour
54. Conditional Functions: IF, Pick, Match, Case
55. Mapping Functions: ApplyMap, MapSubstring
56. Using Variables in Expressions
57. Creating Dynamic Labels and Titles
58. Implementing Conditional Formatting
59. Optimizing Expression Performance
60. Understanding QlikView's Expression Evaluation Order
V. QlikView Security and Deployment (61-75)
61. Implementing QlikView Security: Authentication and Authorization
62. Managing User Access and Permissions
63. Understanding QlikView Server Architecture
64. Publishing QlikView Applications to QlikView Server
65. Configuring QlikView Server Settings
66. Managing QlikView Server Users and Groups
67. Implementing QlikView Server Security Best Practices
68. Deploying QlikView Applications to the Web
69. Using QlikView AccessPoint for Web Access
70. Understanding QlikView Publisher
71. Scheduling QlikView Application Reloads
72. Managing QlikView Licenses
73. Troubleshooting QlikView Server Issues
74. Monitoring QlikView Server Performance
75. Implementing QlikView Governance
VI. Advanced QlikView Scripting (76-90)
76. Advanced Data Modeling Techniques: Star Schema, Snowflake Schema
77. Working with Link Tables
78. Implementing Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCDs)
79. Using QlikView's QVD Files for Performance Optimization
80. Understanding QlikView's Binary Load
81. Implementing Incremental Data Loads with QVDs
82. Working with External Data Sources: Web APIs, REST APIs
83. Using QlikView's COM Interface
84. Integrating QlikView with Other Applications
85. Implementing Data Lineage and Audit Trails
86. Optimizing QlikView Script Performance
87. Debugging QlikView Scripts
88. Using QlikView's Scripting Functions for Advanced Data Manipulation
89. Implementing Custom QlikView Functions
90. Understanding QlikView's Macro Language
VII. QlikView Best Practices and Advanced Topics (91-100)
91. QlikView Design Principles: Creating Effective Dashboards
92. User Experience (UX) Design for QlikView Applications
93. Performance Optimization Techniques for QlikView Applications
94. QlikView Testing and Quality Assurance
95. QlikView Documentation and Knowledge Resources
96. QlikView Community and Support
97. Integrating QlikView with Other BI Tools
98. The Future of QlikView: Trends and Developments
99. QlikView Case Studies: Real-World Examples
100. Building a Complete QlikView Solution: From Data to Insights