End-to-End Qlik Migration:
QlikView → Qlik Sense → Qlik Cloud + NPrinting

What Changes in the Load Script

Qlik Sense load script syntax is largely compatible with QlikView - but there are critical differences that fail silently.

NullAsValue and SET NULLINTERPRET

// QlikView handles NULL more
// permissively in associations.
// NULL fields participate in joins
// without explicit configuration.

LOAD * FROM sales.qvd (qvd);

// Declare NULL behavior explicitly
SET NullInterpret = '';
SET NullDisplay = '-';

NullAsValue Field1, Field2;

LOAD * FROM sales.qvd (qvd);

Section Access - Mandatory Rewrite

In QlikView, Section Access uses NTNAME, OMIT and ACCESS fields configured via QMC. In Qlik Sense the model is different: USER.EMAIL or USER.USERID replace NTNAME, and the OMIT field has been discontinued.

Section Access;
LOAD * INLINE [
  ACCESS, NTNAME,       REGION, OMIT
  ADMIN,  DOMAIN\admin, *,
  USER,   DOMAIN\anna,  West,   COST
  USER,   DOMAIN\john,  East,   COST
];
Section Application;

Section Access;
LOAD * INLINE [
  ACCESS, USERID,           REGION
  ADMIN,  anna@company.com, *
  USER,   john@company.com, East
  USER,   pedro@company.com,West
];
// OMIT discontinued:
// use Row-Level Security via
// filter field in the data model
Section Application;

Objects: What Migrates and What Does Not

• ✓Bar Charts, Line Charts, Pie Charts - migrate with expression adjustments. compatible
• ✓Straight Tables - migrate as Table in Sense, with dimension expression review. compatible
• ✗Grid Charts - do not exist in Sense. Use Heatmap or a custom extension. rewrite
• ✗Multi-Box / Current Selections Box - replaced by Filter Pane and Selections Bar. rewrite
• ✗Container Object - the concept exists in Sense but behaves differently. Review show/hide logic carefully. review
• ✗Macros (VBScript) - Qlik Sense does not support VBScript macros. Rewrite as Extensions or Automations. rewrite

TOTAL Qualifier - Identical Behavior on Both Platforms

The TOTAL qualifier without a field specification ignores all chart dimensions on both platforms. QlikView and Qlik Sense behave identically here - basic TOTAL syntax migrates without change.

// TOTAL without field: ignores
// all chart dimensions
// (same behavior on both platforms)
Sum(Sales) / Sum(TOTAL Sales)

// With field: restricts which
// dimensions TOTAL ignores
// (syntax available on both)
Sum(Sales) /
Sum(TOTAL <Region> Sales)

// Genuine migration edge cases:
// 1. Set Analysis nested with TOTAL
//    - evaluation order can differ

Sum({<Year={2024}>} TOTAL Sales)

// 2. Master Visualizations in Qlik Cloud
//    - selection context may interact
//    differently with the TOTAL
//    qualifier in certain scenarios

This is the most underestimated path. Many teams assume "NPrinting will keep working" after moving apps to the Cloud. It will not - NPrinting only connects to Qlik Sense on-premises.

NPrinting vs Qlik Cloud Reporting - Side by Side

Templates: Excel, Word,
  PowerPoint, HTML, PDF

Distribution: Email, Folder,
  NewsStand

Bursting: by user field
  in connection (user filter)

Scheduling: cron-like via
  NPrinting Scheduler

Pixel-perfect: yes, via
  detailed Office template

Templates: Qlik Sense app
  (Office templates do not import)

Distribution: Email via
  Qlik Application Automation

Bursting: loop in Automation
  + dynamic Section Access

Scheduling: Automation
  (time or event-based triggers)

Pixel-perfect: via PDF export
  configured in the app

Bursting via Qlik Application Automation

In NPrinting, bursting was declarative: point to a field and it generated one PDF per value. In the Cloud, bursting is imperative via Automation:

// Block: Start (Trigger: Schedule - daily at 6am)

// 1. Fetch list of regions via REST API
GET /api/v1/apps/{appId}/data
  → returns list of values for field "Region"

// 2. Loop through each region
FOR EACH region IN region_list:

  // 3. Apply selection via Engine API
  POST /api/v1/apps/{appId}/reloads
  body: { selections: [{ field: "Region", values: [region] }] }

  // 4. Export PDF from configured sheet
  POST /api/v1/apps/{appId}/sheets/{sheetId}/export
  body: { outputFormat: "pdf" }
  → returns URL of generated PDF

  // 5. Send by email
  Email: to      = lookup_email(region)
         subject = "Report - " + region
         attach  = PDF_URL

What Does Not Exist (Yet) in Qlik Cloud Reporting

• ✗Excel templates with complex conditional formatting (Qlik pivot tables to native Excel). No direct equivalent exists. no substitute
• ✗NewsStand (NPrinting's self-service report portal). Replace with a Managed Space with controlled access. rethink
• ✓Email distribution with PDF export from the app - functionally equivalent to NPrinting for simple use cases. available
• ✓Automation scheduling is more flexible than NPrinting Scheduler - supports event-based triggers, not just time-based. better