How to Collect Data using Qlik Sense (Metric example)

This article will show you how to create an Element using a Qlik Sense plugin as a Data Source. It assumes that you have already established connectivity to your Qlik Sense server.

1. Access New > Metric

Access New > Metric

Provide the basic information required for creating a new Metric:

  1. Define this Metric's Measure. If you do not see the measure that you want to use, you can create one directly from the bottom of this drop-down list
  2. Select the Measurement Interval that applies to your element
  3. Give the element a unique Name
  4. Optionally, assign a Category.
  5. Click Next: define details to proceed with Metric creation

NOTE:  To build a dimensioned Metric, you first need to create a Dimension sourced from the same data source.

2. Full Editor displays the Data Collection tab

Full Editor displays the Data Collection tab
  1. Select the Qlik Sense plugin serving as a Data Source for this Metric
  2. Set the Data Collection Trigger which is going to initiate updating information in this Metric
  3. Select a Qlik Sense Object that should become a basis for this particular Metric
  4. Input Plugin Command manually using MIQL (you may also reference a table with parameters below) or use a Visual Editor

2.1. Example using the Visual Editor

Example using the Visual Editor

The Qlik Sense Query Builder is called by Visual Editor link

  1. Select Fields and set Expressions
  2. You can pre-filter the information before fetching it into Metric Insights. To do so, add Filters in the Query Builder
  3. Optionally you can add 'ascending' and 'descending' Sorting to the field values

Save your settings. Command validation will start automatically.

Plugin Commands

The query must include the columns, listed in the hint box to the right of the Plugin command field: 

  1. Optional. Metric Insights dimension (for dimensioned Metrics and Reports only) 
  2. measurement datetime 
  3. measurement value

Note! 

  1. Entire field names that contain special characters, aggregation and commas must be enclosed in quotes (single or double).
  2. It is acceptable to enclose all fields and values in quotes.

[…] + Notation is used to signify that the MIQL parts of a statement are optional/can be repeated.

Command Description Values Example
fields (dimensions) 'Fields' store the data that is used by Qlik Sense and can be compared to columns in a database table, containing one or more values. Qlik Sense divides data in two major types: dimensions and measures. (NOTE: Make sure not to confuse dimensions in Qlik Sense and Metric Insights Dimensions created for Reports and Metrics.) Dimensions in Qlik Sense are descriptive attributes (typically textual fields or discrete numbers), while measures are the fields that can be measured, aggregated, or used for mathematical operations. Dimension fields are usually used for row or column headings. fields = Channel, Year Month, Total Gross Profit
aggregates It is often required to look at numerical data (which is referred to in Qlik Sense as Measures) in an aggregated form (via mathematical functions, such as summation, average, etc.) Aggregation functions perform a calculation on a set of values and return a single value. For example, if you have 3,000 sales transactions from 50 products in your data source, you might want to view the sum of sales for each product, so that you can decide which products have the highest revenue. sum(field), avg(field), count(field), count(*), min(field), max(field) aggregates = sum(profit), min(salary)
filter Using the 'filter' command you can exclude certain values or a range of values for a field. Several filering conditions can be combined by 'OR', 'AND'. NOTE: This filtering is performed by Metric Insights.
 Each filtering condition consists of 3 values: field, corporate operator ( <, >, =< <=, etc.), value (numeric, date or ':last_measurement_time') filter = Year Month == '2016-04-11' AND Avg Sales Per Day > 1000000
external filter Filtering may be also performed externally by Qlik Sense. Qlik Sense handles external filters in the following format:
/state/analysis/select/(field)/(value)		 /state/analysis/select/Product/Wine
sort You can specify whether you want your field values to be sorted in the ascending or descenting order. ASC, DESC sort = Name ASC
var This command allows creating a new custom field that can be used in all commands listed above. var mon_salary = salary / 12
fields = Name, mon_salary

3. Collect Data for the Metric

Collect Data for the Metric

If entering the plugin command manually:

  1. Validate the command. If your statement is valid, the statement box is green; if there are any errors, the box is colored in red and errors will be explained in the field below.
  2. Collect Data
  3. At the upper right corner of the screen, click Enable and Publish to save the element and make it available to other Users in the system

4. [Result] Metric will be displayed in viewer

[Result] Metric will be displayed in viewer