Creating write tables
You can create a write table on your sheet, adding dimensions, measures, and editable columns as needed. After creating a write table in an app, users with access to that app, as well as write table permissions, will be able to make changes to editable columns. Changes can then be exported to external systems.
Create a write table
You can add a write table to your sheet at any time.
Do the following:
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In the Assets panel, under Charts, drag a Write table to the sheet.
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Click Add dimension and select a dimension or a field.
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Add additional static columns by clicking
under Data in the properties panel. A dropdown opens. Select either of the following:- Fields & master items: Opens a searchable dialog box displaying every field and master item. You can choose to add any item as a dimension or measure.
- Custom expression: Opens a dialog box where you can type in an expression, or open the expression editor
.
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Add editable columns by clicking
under Data in the properties panel, and selecting Editable column. -
Define one or more primary keys for the table. In the write table, within the editable column, click Define, and select one or more dimension columns to use as the primary keys.
For more information about primary keys, see Primary key.
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Click Save.
After you create the write table, allow users to interact with it and add changes to editable columns. You can also customize the appearance of the write table by configuring its properties. See Configuring write table properties.
Extract and use changes
When users add data in editable columns, their changes are not applied to the data model of the app. They are also temporary—changes are stored in a Qlik-managed change store for 90 days, after which they are deleted.
You can retrieve these changes via the change-stores API. The changes can be used in various ways, including:
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Load the changes into QVDs or apps for permanent storage and use within Qlik Cloud.
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Extract the changes, adding them to external systems such as Excel spreadsheets or SQL databases.
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Dynamically integrate the data into automated processes, such as sending emails and purchasing inventory.
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Build your own applications and integrate calls to the change-stores API into your operational workflows.
Prerequisites
Before you can access the data saved in the change store, you need to be able to access the change-stores API. To do this, you need:
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API key for the Qlik Cloud tenant. See Managing API keys.
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The required permissions for working with write tables, assigned by tenant administrators. See:
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Setting permissions for write tables (Capacity-based subscriptions)
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Setting permissions for the write table (User-based subscriptions)
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The change store ID. This can be retrieved after creating the write table on a sheet. See Change store.
Available tools for extracting changes
You can use the following tools to extract and use changes from the change-stores API:
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Qlik Automate
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The REST connector available with Qlik scripting and data preparation.
For examples and use cases, see:
Concepts
This section provides an overview of the fundamental concepts for the write table.
Editable column
In a write table, editable columns allow users to enter data on the fly during analysis. By saving changes to an editable column, a user writes changes to a change store, from which they can retrieved by app developers and integrators.
For more information on where you create editable columns, see Create a write table.
After you have added an editable column, you can further customize it to suit your needs.
Do the following:
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In the properties panel, under Data, click the editable column.
The column properties open.
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You can change any of the following properties:
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Title: Change the default column title.
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Show content: Change how users can edit data in the table. You can choose between:
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Single selection: Specify a set of values that users can select for each cell when editing. For example, you could add two values for orders statuses: On Track and Late. Users can then select between these values when they comment on data records.
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Manual user input: Users edit data by typing text manually into cells.
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Show column: Toggle whether the column is visible or hidden.
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Column width: Set the width of the column.
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Change store
A change store is a Qlik-managed storage location that contains the user-added changes from editable columns in a write table. The change store is a temporary storage location—changes are stored for a maximum of 90 days, after which they are deleted.
The change store for your write table is pre-configured for your tenant, and is accessible via the change-stores API. With your change store ID, you can formulate API requests and automations that synchronize user changes to a permanent location such as a spreadsheet or database. For more information, see Extract and use changes.
You can copy the change store ID in two ways:
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In sheet edit mode after you create the write table. In the properties panel, under Change store> Change store ID, click
.Copying the change store ID from the properties panel.
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In analysis mode when viewing the write table. Click the
icon in the bottom right corner. Click to copy the change store ID.Copying the change store ID when viewing a write table.
Primary key
To add editable columns to a write table, you need to define at least one primary key.
A primary key is a field used to link changes to editable columns back to the original data from the data model. Primary keys provide the mapping between records in the write table — which represent data from the data model — and the edits that users introduce within editable columns.
The primary key can be a single field, or it could be a composite key that spans multiple fields.
After you have defined the primary keys in a write table, you can change them at any time. In the properties panel, under Change store > Primary keys, click Modify.
The primary key is also important when you pull changes from the change-stores API.
Examples: Extracting changes from a change store
These examples show you how you can configure automations and data connections to retrieve change data from the change store using the change-stores API.
Permissions
To create write tables and interact with the change-stores API, you need specific permissions. For more information, see Write table permissions.