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Qlik Sense Dashboards with Vizlib Writeback Tables
Vizlib Writeback Tables transforms your Qlik Sense experience by enabling direct data editing and updates within your analytics flow. This powerful tool combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with advanced capabilities, allowing you to correct, insert, and adjust data seamlessly.

by Jay Cadmus

Key Features of Vizlib Writeback Table

1

In-Dashboard Editing
Modify data points and entire rows directly within your Qlik Sense dashboards, maintaining your analysis flow.

2

Versatile Data Handling
Edit Qlik dimensions, measures, and fields with support for various data types and formats.

3

Customizable Interface
Tailor the appearance and functionality to match your specific needs and branding requirements.

4

Rapid Implementation
Quickly set up and deploy using our comprehensive demo app and learning resources.
Supported Data Output Types
Getting Started with Vizlib Writeback Table

1

Configure
Set up your first Writeback Table using our step-by-step integration guides.

2

Connect
Connect your Writeback Table to your desired data source.

3

Customize
Tailor the appearance and functionality to match your specific needs and branding requirements.

4

Test and Deploy
Verify your Writeback Table is working correctly and deploy to your Qlik Sense environment.
Advanced Features and Customization
Form View
Efficiently manage large datasets with a user-friendly form interface.
Analysis Mode
Toggle between edit and analysis modes for flexible data interaction.
Dynamic Tags
Implement dynamic tagging for improved data categorization and filtering.
Setting up Vizlib Writeback Table
Before you begin, you'll need to configure your Qlik Sense environment. This involves several key steps:
  • Access Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to create and modify data in your Qlik Sense environment.
  • Data Connections: Establish connections to the data sources you want to interact with through the Writeback Table. This may involve setting up database connections or other integrations.
  • Extension Configuration: If required, configure the Vizlib Writeback Table extension based on your specific data structure and requirements.
Integration and Security
1
Destination Setup
Configure data output destinations using our detailed integration guides.
2
Security Rules
Implement Qlik security rules to ensure proper access control and data protection.
3
Concurrency Handling
Manage simultaneous edits with built-in concurrency handling features.
4
Audit Trail
Track all data changes with comprehensive audit logging capabilities.
Best Practices and Troubleshooting
Optimize Performance
Utilize binary loads and efficient data refresh strategies to enhance dashboard speed. This minimizes load times and ensures a smooth user experience.
Handle Duplicates
Implement strategies to manage and resolve duplicate record issues effectively. This ensures data accuracy and prevents misleading insights.
Data Security
Secure your data by implementing proper access control mechanisms and data encryption techniques. This protects your sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Version Control
Maintain a clear version history of data changes. This helps track modifications, revert to previous states, and ensure data integrity.
Transform Your Data Workflow Processes
Boost Productivity
Effortlessly update data directly within your Qlik Sense dashboards, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reconciliation.
Enhance Insights
Gain immediate insights from changes made in your dashboard, enabling rapid iteration and informed decision-making.
Empower Users
Enable business users to directly update data in Qlik Sense dashboards, fostering data ownership and collaboration.
Ensure Data Integrity
Maintain data quality with built-in validation and audit features, ensuring data accuracy and preventing inconsistencies.
Manually Creating a Writeback Table
  • Select the **Insert** menu and the **Vizlib Writeback Table** option. Alternatively, drag a Vizlib Writeback Table from the Extensions tab.
  • Use the **Settings** dialog to set properties such as the Writeback Table’s **Data Source**, **Data Connections**, and **Columns**.
  • After configuring the Writeback Table, select the **Data** tab to import the data that you want to write back into the table.
  • Save your work and create a **Dashboard** containing the Writeback Table.
Setting up Vizlib Writeback Table

1

Select the Data Source
Use the drop-down menu to select a data source for the Writeback Table. This specifies where the data will be written back to. This can be a Qlik Sense app, a Qlik Sense data connection, or a Qlik Sense API endpoint.

2

Connect to Data
Establish a data connection between the Writeback Table and the selected data source. This connection ensures that data can be transferred seamlessly between the dashboard and the external source.

3

Define Writeback Columns
Choose the specific columns from the data source that will be updated using the Writeback Table. This defines the data fields that users can modify in the dashboard.

4

Configure Update Modes
Select an update mode for the Writeback Table to determine how data changes are handled. Options include 'Add', 'Update', 'Delete', or a combination of these modes.
Column Visibility
Step 1: Configure Column Visibility
Use the **Column Visibility** setting to control which columns are displayed in the Writeback Table.
Step 2: Select Columns
From the list of available columns, select the specific columns that you want to make visible in the Writeback Table. You can choose to show or hide specific columns based on your data requirements.
Step 3: Apply Visibility Changes
After making your selections, apply the column visibility changes to update the Writeback Table and reflect your chosen configuration.
Using "Editable If" in Writeback
The "Editable If" property is a powerful feature that allows you to control which cells in your Writeback Table are editable by users. This provides flexibility in managing data access and ensuring data integrity.
By using conditional logic, you can specify rules that determine which cells should be editable based on the values in other columns. This is particularly useful for scenarios where:
  • You need to restrict data entry based on specific criteria, such as role or user permissions.
  • You want to enable editing only for certain data points based on the values in other columns.
  • You aim to ensure that data entry adheres to specific business rules or constraints.
For example, you might want to allow users to edit the quantity column only for orders that are in a pending status, or to allow managers to edit the price column for specific product categories.
The "Editable If" property is defined at the column level, and you can use a combination of operators and values to create your conditions. The available operators include:
  • Equal To (=)
  • Not Equal To (!=)
  • Greater Than (>)
  • Greater Than Or Equal To (>=)
  • Less Than (<)
  • Less Than Or Equal To (<=)
  • Contains
  • Does Not Contain
You can combine multiple conditions using logical operators such as AND and OR.
To learn more about using the "Editable If" property and its advanced features, you can visit the documentation page at Using 'Editable if' in Writeback (insightsoftware.com)
Data Lock
Data lock is a feature that allows you to prevent users from making changes to specific data points in your Writeback Table. This can be useful for a number of reasons, such as:
- Ensuring data accuracy and consistency
- Preventing unauthorized modifications
- Protecting sensitive information
Data lock can be applied to individual cells or entire columns. You can also choose to lock data based on specific criteria, such as user permissions or data values. For example, you might want to lock all sales data for the current quarter or only allow managers to edit certain columns. To learn more about how to use data lock, you can visit the documentation page at Data Lock (Deprecated) (insightsoftware.com)
Writeback Operations
  • Add: Create new rows in the data source.
  • Update: Modify existing rows in the data source.
  • Delete: Remove rows from the data source.
  • Replace: Replace existing rows with new data.
  • Bulk Edit: Modify multiple rows simultaneously.
  • Data Validation: Ensure data integrity by applying rules and constraints.
  • User Permissions: Control access to writeback operations for different users.
  • Auditing: Track and log all writeback activities for traceability.
Writeback Table Settings: Destination
Destination
The destination is where your Writeback Table will store its data. There are a few different options available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
The available destinations depend on your Qlik Sense deployment, but they can include:
  • Qlik Sense Data Connection
  • SQL database
  • File
  • API endpoint
You can select the destination for your Writeback Table by going to the Writeback Settings tab in the Table Properties dialog.
Reference Guides and Tutorials
Go to Documentation
For more in-depth guidance, visit these links for writeback documentation and video tutorials with guided steps to set up your writeback structure.