Working with Qlik objects

Qlik Sense and QlikView have many different object types: bar charts, pivot tables, KPIs, maps, and more. How these objects can be used in Qlik NPrinting reports depends on the type of connection, and the type of object.

In order for Qlik objects to appear in your reports, you need to have a working connection to your Qlik Sense app or QlikView document. See: Creating connections .

How Qlik objects are exported into Qlik NPrinting

Qlik objects are exported into Qlik NPrinting. They may not look exactly the same, or behave the same way. For example, bar charts export as static images. You cannot manipulate an image of a bar chart the same way as a bar chart.

These are the main ways Qlik objects can be displayed in Qlik NPrinting reports:

• Text: simple text that can be formatted differently depending on report type. An Excel report will have different formatting options than a PixelPerfect report.
• Tables: take your Qlik Sense and QlikView data and present it in tabular form.
• Images: take your Qlik Sense and QlikView data and present it as a graphic (.png).
• Levels: sub-divide your data by a dimension. Levels can be applied to tables and images. For example, you could divide your top customers by region.

You can import your Qlik Sense app theme settings when configuring a connection by selecting Apply Sense app theme, and the theme will be applied to Qlik objects displayed in Qlik NPrinting reports created using that connection. See: Connecting to Qlik Sense apps.

Images

QlikView chart objects are exported as images using the native QlikView image function.

Qlik Sense chart objects are exported as images as follows:

1. Visualization is opened in an in-memory browser window.
2. Image dimensions and dots per inch (DPI) settings are applied according to the report template.
3. A snapshot is taken of the rendered image.
4. The image is exported as a .png into your generated report or preview.

Only the visible part of a visualization will be exported. For example, you export a Qlik Sense table that has scroll bars as an image. You will see the scroll bars and the window area that they specify, but not the entire table. To see how an object will appear in a report, open a Qlik Sense browser window on the Qlik NPrinting Engine machine. Next, apply the same size and resolution used in the report template.

You can adjust the amount of chart data taken in the initial snapshot in the Qlik NPrinting Designer by changing the Data Displayed values. See: Changing image size of Qlik Sense charts.

Older versions of Qlik NPrinting (June 2018 and earlier) exported QlikView charts differently. You can revert to this older method. See: Changing how QlikView charts are exported.

Qlik objects that are partially supported

Some objects are not fully supported, because they are too complex.

A quick way to check if an object type is supported is to try and add it to the left-hand pane in Qlik NPrinting Designer. Qlik NPrinting Designer will only add supported objects.

For example: you are connected to a QlikView document that contains a bar chart, a pivot table, and a gauge chart. In Qlik NPrinting Designer, go to the left-hand pane, right-click on Levels, and select Add levels. A window will open, listing the bar chart. The pivot table and gauge chart will not be listed, as they are not supported as levels. They would appear if you added them under Images.

If a supported object does not appear in the Qlik NPrinting Designer, it could be because it was added in Qlik Sense or QlikView, but the metadata cache was not refreshed in Qlik NPrinting. See: Reloading connection metadata.

The following tables outline current restrictions:

QlikView embedded image files in QlikView tables are not supported in Qlik NPrinting tables. They will render correctly if the QlikView table is added as an image in Qlik NPrinting. You may also be able to use levels to display these types of images. See: Excel reports with levels.

Qlik Sense pivot table limitations

Qlik Sense pivot tables are supported as images, text, and tables. However, there are some features and behaviors that are not supported:

• Levels
• Partial expansion of rows and columns
• Foreground colors and background colors
• Hyperlinks (will display as plain text)
• Expanding or shrinking the size of the table. The desired pivot table size must be saved in the Qlik Sense app, before you open the report in Qlik NPrinting Designer. If you change the size or layout of the table in Qlik Sense, you will need to reload your Qlik Sense connection cache in Qlik NPrinting.

Paging limitations

PowerPoint reports have a Paging node. The following objects can be added as pages:

• Fields (with no calculated dimensions)
• Straight tables

Objects in Qlik Sense containers

If a supported object is inside a Qlik Sense container, it can be used normally. For example, if you put a KPI in a container, you can use it as an image or table. The fact that it is inside a container has no effect.

Qlik Sense custom and extended sheets

Qlik Sense custom size sheets and extended sheet features will not be maintained on export.

Qlik objects that are not supported

Some objects are not supported in Qlik NPrinting. These are:

• Uncertified Qlik Sense extensions
• Always one selected value for fields

• Calculated conditions

• Calculated dimensions

• Drill-down dimensions

• Alternate states

• Sheet triggers

• Dashboard bundle: Dashboard bundle limitations. If you are experiencing issues, verify that you are using a compatible version of Qlik Sense. Your Qlik NPrinting version must be equal to or higher than your Qlik Sense version.
• Visualization bundle: Visualization bundle limitations. If you are experiencing issues, verify that you are using a compatible version of Qlik Sense. Your Qlik NPrinting version must be equal to or higher than your Qlik Sense version.
• Qlik Sense objects that connect to external servers, usually as additional data sources (Qlik GeoAnalytics, analytic connections)

• Qlik Sense charts with Chart suggestions enabled. To include charts created using chart suggestions in Qlik NPrinting reports, disable Chart suggestions. See: Creating visualizations using chart suggestions.

• Qlik Sense objects with Assistance mode enabled cannot use in the Add title feature in Qlik NPrinting Designer. If you disable Assistance mode, and refresh the connection, then you can add titles.

• Qlik Sense tables that have a "Show column if" condition set on one or more of their columns cannot be used with the following functionality: levels, single column export, and keep source formats.

• Qlik Sense dynamic views: You can connect Qlik NPrinting to a Qlik Sense app containing dynamic views. However, after a dynamic view refresh, the connection will stop working.

Troubleshooting

If your objects are not appearing in your reports correctly, there could be an issue with your connections, or with your Qlik Sense app or QlikView document.