Write table
In the Write table, you can make changes in editable columns during data analysis. Your changes can be used by analytics developers to implement automated, real-time processes and ensure data quality.
Adding data to editable columns in a write table.
Use cases
The write table speeds up the process of gathering, updating, and taking action on time-sensitive data. With the write table, you can allow your organization to move faster and more efficiently in response to changing data. It also make it easy for analyzers to add feedback, corrections, and additional insights that may not yet be in the data model.
You can use the write table for:
-
Analyzing and taking action on internal employee feedback.
-
Analyzing and taking action on sales opportunities, including up-sell and renewal.
Working with write tables
This process outlines how you can incorporate the write table into your operations, from development to analysis to data-driven action.
- Create a write table
The app developer first creates the write table. They have to define a primary key based on one or more dimensions in the write table and then add editable columns that can be used to collect changes from users.
- Use the write table
Users interact with the chart and make changes in editable columns. For example, users can add updates about order statuses, inventory, or customer feedback.
Changes are saved for 90 days in a change store provided by Qlik.
- Extract changes
App developers retrieve the changes from the change store via API. The changes can be backed up permanently to Qlik Cloud or to external systems, and used in automated operations—for example, automated inventory purchasing with the click of a button.
Interacting with a write table
You add changes to editable columns in the write table. Depending on how the chart has been configured by the app developer, there are two ways in which you add changes: manual entry and single selection. After making your changes, save the changes so that they are sent to the change store and become visible to others.
Manual entry
With manual entry, you type directly into the cells of the editable column.
Do the following:
-
In an editable column, click a cell that you want to edit.
-
Enter the desired text.
-
Click Save.
The changes are saved to the change store.
Editing cells with manual entry.
Single selection
With single selection, you use a dropdown menu to choose between pre-configured values.
Do the following:
-
In an editable column, click a cell that you want to edit.
-
Select the desired option.
-
Click Save.
The changes are saved to the change store.
Editing cells with single selection.
Cell statuses
Cells in an editable column can have indicators showing several different statuses. These are:
-
Not saved (gray): The cell has been updated by the current user but the changes are not yet saved. The user has the option to cancel or save the changes.
-
Saved (green): The text in the cell has been saved to the change store. Its new value is visible to others.
-
Locked (orange): Another user is currently making changes to the row. The row is locked during this time. You cannot make changes to it until they are done.
Other interactions
For other actions, you can interact with a write table as you do in other table-based charts.
Making selections
You can make selections in a write table by clicking or drawing in the dimension columns. It is not possible to make selections on editable columns as that data is not part of the app’s data model.
Selections work the same way in write tables as they do in straight tables. For more information, refer to the straight table documentation at Selections in straight tables.
Searching in columns
In a write table, you can search the dimension columns, and make selections in the resulting list.
Do the following:
-
Click the column header for a dimension that you want to search in.
-
Click
Search.A selection popup is displayed with a list of all values of the field. This includes values that are excluded by selections. Excluded values are dark gray.
-
Type your search string. You can use any of the available search types. See Searching within selections or visualizations.
While you type, the list is filtered to only display matching items.
-
Make a selection by clicking or drawing.
-
Confirm your selection.
Tip noteYou can confirm the selection of all matching items by pressing Enter.
Write table permissions
Whether you can work with write tables determined by the following permissions:
-
Permissions assigned to you by an administrator: Control whether you have full, partial, or no access to working with write tables. If you do not have these permissions, you may be able to view write tables, but you will not be able to make changes in editable columns, configure write table charts, or interact with the API. See:
-
Setting permissions for write tables (Capacity-based subscriptions)
-
Setting permissions for the write table (User-based subscriptions)
-
-
Space permissions: Control access to write tables in specific spaces. See below for more information.
Space permissions
In addition to administrator-assigned permissions, space permissions further control your write table access for apps in shared and managed spaces.
Viewing and analyzing write tables
The following space roles are required to view write tables and make changes in editable columns.
-
In shared spaces, one of the following:
-
Owner (of space)
-
Can manage
-
Can edit data in applications
-
Can edit
-
Can view
-
-
In managed spaces, one of the following:
-
Owner (of space)
-
Can manage
-
Can contribute
-
Can view
-
Can operate (Professional or Full User entitlement only)
-
Configuring write tables
The following space roles are required to create, edit, and delete write table configurations.
-
In shared spaces, one of the following:
-
Owner (of space)
-
Can manage
-
Can edit data in applications
-
Can edit
-
-
In managed spaces, one of the following:
-
Owner (of space)
-
Can manage
-
Can contribute
-
Additional information
Further information about space permissions in Qlik Cloud can be found at:
Scenarios for moving, publishing, deletion, and duplication
This section outlines the expected behavior for write tables when content is moved, published, deleted, and duplicated.
Publishing
Different behavior is expected between when the app is first published to a managed space, and for each time the app is subsequently republished.
First publish
When an app with a write table is first published to a managed space:
-
New change stores are created in the target space
-
The published app will use these new change stores
Republishing without changes to write configuration
In this scenario, nothing changes. The published app continues to use the change stores in the managed space.
Republishing after new editable columns are added in the source app
In this scenario, the target change stores are updated to support these new columns.
Republishing after removing editable columns in the source app
In this scenario:
-
The write table in the published app will no longer show the deleted editable columns.
-
The target change stores retain these deleted columns.
Deletion
Deletion involves the deleting of charts, sheets, apps, and spaces.
Delete chart, sheet, or app
After a chart, sheet, or app containing a write table is deleted, the change store still exists in the space and is accessible over API. It is not possible to connect a write table to this change store again.
Delete space
When a space containing write tables is deleted, any change stores that were in the space are lost and not recoverable.
Moving
Moving happens when an app with a write table is moved to a different space. With moving, the following happens:
-
An empty change store will be created in the target space.
-
The write table in the app will no longer be linked to the change store in the original space.
Duplication
Duplication happens in any of the following cases:
-
A sheet or app containing a write table is cut or copied and pasted, or duplicated.
-
A write table visualization is cut or copied and pasted.
-
You export an app containing a write table and then import the app back into Qlik Cloud.
-
You duplicate a write table using enigma-js.
With duplication, the following happens:
-
A new, empty change store is created for each newly created write table.
-
The new change store automatically connects to the new write table.
-
You must reconfigure the write table visualization—in particular, primary keys and editable columns.
Limitations
-
The maximum number of editable columns per change store is 50. This limitation is per change store and not per write table visualization.
-
The maximum number of primary key fields is 20.
-
Multiple write tables cannot be connected to the same change store. In the case of duplication, you must reconfigure the write table visualization in the new app. For more information, see Duplication.
-
Write table visualizations are not supported in on-demand template apps.
-
Write tables cannot be defined as master visualizations.
-
Snapshots are not supported for the write table. This includes storytelling snapshots, embed snapshots, and creating snapshot from APIs.
-
After a change in an editable column is saved, it is stored for 90 days in the change store. After 90 days, it is deleted and this cannot be undone. If you need to back up these values, use Qlik Automate or load scripts to extract these changes to external systems or QVDs in Qlik Cloud.
-
Alternative columns cannot be added in a write table.
-
You cannot add a show condition to a column that is used as a primary key.
-
If you add a cyclic dimension as a column in the write table, the first dimension definition in the cyclic dimension will be the only usable dimension in the chart. Users cannot step through cyclic dimensions in the chart during analysis.
-
Zebra stripes are not supported in the write table.
-
Visualization filters are not supported in the write table.
-
Row-level pagination is not supported in the write table.
-
The Wrap text in cells setting is not supported for editable columns in a write table.
-
Multi-line inputs are not supported in editable columns.
-
Editable columns do not represent dimensions or measures, and are not connected to the app data model. Therefore, many of the properties that are available for dimension and measure columns are not applicable to editable columns.
-
The write table does not support anonymous access and is not available in Qlik Anonymous Access subscriptions.
-
The write table does not support no-auth for qlik-embed.
-
The write table is not available in Direct Query apps.
-
The write table does not support fine-grained access control. If a user has access to an app without being a member of the space, they cannot view, edit, analyze, or create write tables on sheets in the app.
-
The write table is not available in Qlik Sense Client-Managed.
-
In the Qlik Analytics mobile app, write tables are displayed in read-only mode.
-
Write tables are not available when you open an app offline in the Qlik Analytics mobile app.
-
In small-screen mode, write tables are displayed in read-only mode.
Section access limitations
Section access is applied only to data that is in use by the Qlik engine. Also, the records shown in a write table depend on the primary key, which is configured using engine data. Therefore, if the write table is used in an app that uses section access, the records shown in the table will be restricted by section access.
However, the write table interaction data—the edits created during analysis sessions—are stored in a change store, which is separate from the engine. Section access is not applied on a change store or on the change-stores API. Therefore, users with API permissions will be able to read all data from a change store regardless of the section access rules.