Not a lot of developers take advantage of this option, but it is quite functional. If you activate Design Grid (Ctrl + G) and right-click on a table, you will find a Custom Format Cell menu. From here, you can change several parameters that will help you format your tables in an easy way.

By using this functionality, you can create highly customized tables. For instance, you can adapt the backgrounds and borders to create a calendar-like table:

When you manage your folders appropriately, there is no problem in referencing an image with its path ('../IMG/Image.png'). Nevertheless, sometimes you need to make your QVW files as portable as possible, so loading the images directly into QlikView can be helpful. This can be achieved by using a BUNDLE LOAD in the script:

Flags:
BUNDLE LOAD * INLINE [
    Flags,       Location
    Germany,     C:FlagsGermany.gif
    Mexico,      C:FlagsMexico.gif
    Sweden,      C:FlagsSweden.gif
]; 

This is an INLINE table, but you can use any other type of data source you want (flat files, databases, Excel, etc.). After reloading, the new bundle will be available in the Edit Expression dialog under the Image Folder option.

Sparklines are small line charts that depict the behavior of an element over time. Their objective is not to show exactly on which month a certain KPI peaked, but to

illustrate, in general, if it is increasing or decreasing; or even if it is constant, cyclic or erratic.

To create a sparkline, do the following:

Linear gauges are a great option to represent KPIs regarding completion. Whether the commercial team is pursuing a sales quota or you are monitoring a fundraising for an NPO, these visualizations let the users quickly assess how far (or close) they are from reaching the goal.

In order to create a linear gauge, perform the following steps:

This is one of the most useful mini charts due to its good readability and high visual impact. By creating a linear gauge inside a table, it is possible to simulate a horizontal bar chart so that the user can see not only the raw figures, but also a visual cue that displays the magnitudes. To illustrate it, let's work with some information regarding the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League, as shown in the following screenshot:

To create a mini bar chart, do the following:

As weird as it may sound, chart junk is not an illness exclusive to charts. When some features obscure your tables instead of adding value to them, try maximizing the data-ink ratio by removing subtotals, cell borders, sort indicators, or backgrounds. Minimalistic tables can be surprisingly elegant and perfectly readable:

Tables can benefit from increasing the cell height to two or three lines depending on the amount of data they display (Presentation | Wrap Cell Text). These extra pixels between records prevent your dashboard from feeling cluttered and improve readability.

Creating a table without dimensions is a great way to display the most relevant KPIs at the top of a dashboard. Besides, it is much easier to maintain than dozens of text objects packed together. Just remove the subtotals and adjust the fonts and background as necessary.

Tip

This tip also works neatly if you activate the Horizontal box in the Presentation tab:

QlikView automatically displays zeros or null values (dashes) when an expression requires it. While this behavior is desirable most of the times, you can remove these characters by replacing the Null Symbol with a space in the Presentation tab, using the Suppress Missing option or by changing the number format of the expression to #,##0;-#,##0; (notice that it ends with a semicolon).

While often considered as chart junk, stripes can be of assistance when you have to deal with long tables. Even a slight contrast can help our eyes accurately read each record. Just go to the Style tab and add Stripes Every 1 Row. If you want lighter stripes (which is usually a good idea), there is a Cell Background Color Transparency control in the same tab.

Though it might sound pretty obvious, it is imperative that all the columns of the table are well aligned and adequately sized. The traditional convention of text on the left and numbers on the right works well in most situations. However, some tables might benefit from centering their content; it all depends on the type of data displayed. Yet, you should always avoid overly cluttered columns. If you reduce the margins too much, you might end up with an undesirable set of pounds/hashtags that diminish the usability of the object.

Business users hold ad hoc tables in high esteem because they grant enough flexibility to handle unsuspected scenarios. This kind of tables allows them to create custom reports with the dimensions, expressions, and filters that they need.

Here's how you can create an ad hoc table:

Even though it is not an exclusive feature, accumulation is frequently found in tables. One of its most popular usages is the Pareto Analysis and all of its variations, where you highlight the larger elements accumulating X percent of the total. This visualization revolves around two options contained in the Expressions tab—the Relative box to obtain the individual share and the Full Accumulation radio button to sum up all the previous records.

Have you ever faced a situation where you need to create a table but all the cells contain independent formulas? Well, here is how to do it:

Sometimes, it is necessary to disable certain features for the sake of usability or security. If you use column() in one of your expressions, it is advisable to go to the Presentation tab and unselect the Allow Drag and Drop box. On the other hand, if you need the data sorted in a specific fashion (for example, Pareto Analysis), you should disable the Allow Interactive Sort function in the Sort tab.