6-Month Roadmap to Becoming a Skilled QlikView Developer

Becoming a proficient QlikView developer requires not only understanding the technical aspects of the tool but also gaining hands-on experience with real-world projects. A structured roadmap helps streamline the learning process, ensuring that you acquire all the essential skills to build robust QlikView applications and gain expertise in data modeling, scripting, visualization, and optimization.

In this 6-month roadmap, we’ll break down the steps you need to follow to master QlikView, from beginner concepts to advanced topics. This guide will provide a comprehensive plan for self-learning, practice, and certification preparation to launch your career as a QlikView developer.

Month 1: Laying the Foundation — Introduction to QlikView and Basic Concepts

Objective: Familiarize yourself with QlikView’s interface, key features, and core concepts while gaining a basic understanding of how to create simple visualizations and dashboards.

Key Topics:

1. Introduction to Business Intelligence (BI):
   • Understanding the importance of BI in business decision-making.
   • QlikView’s role in the BI landscape.
2. Getting Started with QlikView:
   • Installing QlikView (use the QlikView Personal Edition for self-learning).
   • Navigating the QlikView interface (panes, menus, and toolbars).
   • Overview of QlikView documents (QVW files) and their structure.
   • Introduction to sheets, objects (charts, tables, list boxes), and their role in dashboards.
3. Understanding QlikView’s Associative Model:
   • Learn about QlikView’s associative data model, which links data fields and allows for dynamic filtering.
   • Explore how this model differentiates QlikView from other BI tools.
4. Basic Visualizations:
   • Learn how to create basic visualizations such as bar charts, pie charts, and tables.
   • Understand how to create filters and use basic selections in the data model.
5. Introduction to Load Scripts:
   • Get acquainted with QlikView’s load script editor.
   • Learn the basics of loading data from Excel or CSV files into QlikView.

Hands-on Practice:

• Create your first QlikView dashboard with basic charts and list boxes.
• Load a simple dataset and practice applying filters to data in your dashboard.

Resources:

• QlikView tutorials and documentation.
• Beginner QlikView videos on YouTube or Udemy.

Month 2: Data Loading and Transformation — Understanding ETL and Data Modeling

Objective: Dive deeper into QlikView’s data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process, and start learning about data modeling concepts.

Key Topics:

1. ETL Basics:
   • Learn how to extract data from multiple sources (databases, text files, spreadsheets).
   • Understand the difference between extracting structured and unstructured data.
2. Understanding Load Scripts:
   • Expand on basic load scripts by learning how to load multiple datasets.
   • Introduction to SQL queries in QlikView.
   • Explore the LOAD, FROM, SELECT, and WHERE commands.
3. Data Transformation:
   • Learn basic data transformation techniques like renaming fields, applying filters, and performing data cleansing.
   • Understand field concatenation and joins.
4. Data Modeling Concepts:
   • Learn about relational data models: star schemas and snowflake schemas.
   • Explore key concepts such as synthetic keys, concatenation, and primary keys in QlikView.
   • Learn about link tables and how they help resolve synthetic key issues.

Hands-on Practice:

• Load multiple data sources and practice transforming data using the load script.
• Design a simple data model using a star schema for better performance.
• Resolve synthetic keys by using link tables and correct joins.

Resources:

• QlikView scripting tutorials.
• SQL learning resources (for basic SQL syntax).
• Practice with public datasets (e.g., Kaggle or government open data).

Month 3: Advanced Scripting and Data Modeling — Working with Complex Data

Objective: Develop proficiency in writing complex load scripts and working with advanced data modeling techniques, including resolving data relationships and optimizing performance.

Key Topics:

1. Advanced Load Scripts:
   • Learn to use conditional scripting (IF, CASE statements) in QlikView load scripts.
   • Introduction to mapping tables, inline loads, and using functions in scripts.
   • Explore GROUP BY, ORDER BY, AGGREGATE, and other SQL-like functions in QlikView.
2. Optimizing Data Models:
   • Learn how to reduce the size of the data model by dropping unused fields and tables.
   • Use QVD (QlikView Data) files to store and reload data efficiently.
   • Understand the importance of incremental loading for larger datasets.
3. Dealing with Multiple Fact Tables:
   • Introduction to managing multiple fact tables and how to model them in QlikView.
   • Explore the use of link tables for resolving circular references and reducing synthetic keys.
4. Set Analysis Basics:
   • Introduction to set analysis in QlikView for advanced data manipulation and filtering in dashboards.

Hands-on Practice:

• Develop complex load scripts using various data transformation functions.
• Create multiple QVD files and load them into a QlikView document to practice incremental loading.
• Build a QlikView application that handles multiple data sources and multiple fact tables.

Resources:

• QlikView script editor guide.
• Online advanced QlikView scripting courses.
• QVD and data storage tutorials.

Month 4: Dashboard Design and Visualization Best Practices

Objective: Master the art of designing user-friendly, visually appealing, and efficient dashboards that communicate insights effectively.

Key Topics:

1. Best Practices for Dashboard Design:
   • Learn the principles of data visualization (e.g., effective use of color, layout, and chart types).
   • Explore different types of visualizations in QlikView (bar charts, scatter plots, pivot tables, gauges, and maps).
   • Create responsive designs for different screen resolutions.
2. Advanced Visualizations:
   • Learn to use QlikView extensions to add advanced visualizations to your dashboard.
   • Use calculated fields, derived fields, and set analysis to create dynamic charts.
3. User Experience (UX) Design:
   • Learn how to optimize dashboards for end-users by minimizing clutter and maximizing interactivity.
   • Focus on creating drill-downs, master items, and bookmarks to enhance user experience.
4. Creating KPIs and Metrics:
   • Learn how to create key performance indicators (KPIs) and summary metrics to track business goals.

Hands-on Practice:

• Redesign an existing QlikView dashboard by applying the best practices for visualization and interactivity.
• Create dashboards that include complex visualizations using set analysis and calculated fields.
• Test your dashboards with users or colleagues to get feedback on usability.

Resources:

• Books or courses on data visualization.
• QlikView’s documentation on charts and visualizations.
• Webinars and examples of professional QlikView dashboards.

Month 5: Performance Optimization and Debugging

Objective: Learn how to optimize QlikView applications for better performance and user experience, including debugging and troubleshooting common issues.

Key Topics:

1. Optimizing Data Models for Performance:
   • Learn strategies for optimizing QlikView data models to improve load times and dashboard responsiveness.
   • Identify unnecessary fields, tables, and calculations that can slow down the application.
2. Memory Management:
   • Explore how QlikView uses RAM and learn techniques to minimize memory usage.
   • Understand QlikView’s in-memory model and how to optimize it for large datasets.
3. Application Optimization:
   • Learn how to use aggregation and pre-calculation to reduce the need for real-time computation.
   • Optimize expressions and calculations in charts to avoid performance lags.
4. Debugging Techniques:
   • Use QlikView’s built-in debugging tools to troubleshoot errors in load scripts and dashboards.
   • Learn common performance bottlenecks and how to resolve them.
5. Error Handling in Scripts:
   • Implement error handling in QlikView load scripts to identify and resolve issues efficiently.

Hands-on Practice:

• Optimize a QlikView application with large datasets by applying data reduction techniques, incremental loading, and memory management.
• Debug a load script that fails to execute and troubleshoot issues with the data model.

Resources:

• QlikView performance tuning guides.
• Webinars on optimizing QlikView applications.
• Community forums for discussing performance challenges.

Month 6: Certification Preparation and Real-World Project Development

Objective: Prepare for QlikView certification exams (such as QlikView Business Analyst or QlikView Data Architect) and apply everything you’ve learned by working on a real-world project.

Key Topics:

1. Certification Exam Preparation:
   • Review the exam guide for the QlikView certification you plan to take.
   • Focus on areas where you feel less confident (e.g., scripting, data modeling, or set analysis).
   • Take practice exams and review any missed questions.
2. Final Review of Key Concepts:
   • Review data modeling, load scripts, and set analysis in depth.
   • Revisit dashboard design principles and performance optimization strategies.
3. Real-World Project Development:
   • Choose a real-world dataset (e.g., sales data, marketing data, healthcare data) and develop a complete QlikView application from start to finish.
   • Work through the entire process: data extraction, data modeling, ETL, visualization, optimization, and user experience design.
   • Present the final dashboard to a colleague or mentor for feedback.
4. Building a Portfolio:
   • Organize your completed projects into a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential employers.
   • Include documentation, screenshots, and explanations of the projects you’ve developed during the last six months.

Hands-on Practice:

• Complete a full QlikView project that demonstrates your proficiency across all the areas you’ve learned.
• Prepare for the QlikView certification exam by taking practice tests and studying key topics.

Resources:

• QlikView certification guides and practice exams.
• Webinars on passing QlikView certification exams.
• Online resources for QlikView real-world projects.

Conclusion

This 6-month roadmap provides a structured plan to help you transition from a beginner to an advanced QlikView developer. Each month focuses on a specific aspect of QlikView development, from mastering load scripts and data modeling to building powerful, optimized dashboards. By following this roadmap, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle real-world challenges, earn QlikView certification, and establish yourself as a skilled QlikView developer.

Remember that practice and hands-on experience are key to mastering QlikView. Focus on real-world projects, engage with the Qlik community, and continuously refine your skills to stay current with the latest trends in business intelligence and data visualization.