Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer

A Visual Studio Code extension for viewing Qlik Sense and QlikView QVD files directly within VS Code.

Sponsored by Ptarmigan Labs

Features

• View QVD Files: Open and view QVD files created by Qlik Sense or QlikView
• Display Metadata: View comprehensive metadata about QVD files including:
  • File creation information
  • Table creator details
  • Total number of records
  • Field definitions with types, symbols, and technical details
• Data Preview: View sample data from QVD files in a formatted table with pagination
• Configurable Display: Customize the number of rows to load (default: 5,000, range: 100-100,000)
• About Panel: Access information about the Butler family of tools
• Read-Only Access: Safe viewing without modifying original QVD files

About Ctrl-Q

Ctrl-Q is a set of sibling tools to the Butler family of tools for Qlik Sense and QlikView developers and admins. The Butler suite provides a best-in-class set of utilities for managing, monitoring, and enhancing Qlik environments, while Ctrl-Q focuses on command-line and developer-centric tools.

The Butler Family

• Butler: Core monitoring and automation tool for Qlik Sense Enterprise
• Ctrl-Q: Command-line tool for Qlik Sense administration and DevOps
• Butler SOS: Real-time monitoring and metrics for Qlik Sense
• Butler CW: Cache warming utility for Qlik Sense apps
• Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer (this extension): View QVD files directly in VS Code

Learn more about the Butler family at https://ptarmiganlabs.com/the-butler-family/

Getting Started

Quick Start (3 Steps)

1. Install the Extension

   • Open VS Code
   • Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac)
   • Search for "Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer"
   • Click "Install"

2. Open a QVD File

   • Click on any .qvd file in your workspace

3. Start Viewing

   • The QVD file will open automatically showing metadata and data preview

That's it! You're ready to view QVD files in VS Code.

First-Time Setup: Setting Default Editor

When you open your first QVD file, VS Code might show this dialog:

⚠️ "There are multiple default editors available for the resource."

• Configure Default | Keep Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer

What does this mean?

This dialog appears when multiple extensions can handle .qvd files. VS Code needs to know which one to use by default.

Some XML viewers can view QVD files since they are partly XML-based, but they won't be able to preview the actual data and metadata properly like Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer does.

What should you do?

Choose one of these options:

• Click "Keep Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer" (Recommended)

  • Uses this extension to open QVD files
  • You can always change this later
  • This is the quickest option to get started

• Click "Configure Default"

  • Opens settings to choose your preferred editor
  • Select "Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer" from the list
  • This sets it as the permanent default

Tip: If you accidentally choose the wrong editor, you can always:

1. Right-click on any .qvd file
2. Select "Open With..."
3. Choose "Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer"
4. Check "Configure default editor for '*.qvd'..." to make it permanent

Changing Settings (Optional)

By default, the extension loads 5,000 rows of data for preview and pagination. To change this:

1. Open Settings: File → Preferences → Settings (or Ctrl+,)
2. Search for "Ctrl-Q QVD"
3. Find "Ctrl-Q QVD Viewer: Max Preview Rows"
4. Adjust the value (100-100,000 rows)

Installation

From VSIX (Local Installation)

1. Clone this repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Package the extension: npm run package (or use vsce package)
4. Install in VS Code: Extensions → Install from VSIX

From Source (Development)

See Development section below.

Usage

Opening QVD Files

There are two ways to open a QVD file:

1. From File Explorer: Click on any .qvd or .QVD file in the VS Code Explorer sidebar
2. Using Command Palette:
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
   • Type "Open QVD File" and select the command
   • Choose a QVD file from the file picker

What You'll See

The extension displays QVD files in three sections:

1. File Metadata

• Creator document name
• Creation date and time (UTC)
• Table creator information
• Total number of records

2. Field Information

Each field shows:

• Field name
• Data type (INTEGER, TEXT, etc.)
• Number of unique symbols
• Bit width for data storage

3. Data Preview

A formatted table with pagination controls showing the loaded rows with all columns from the QVD file.

Example Output

When you open a QVD file, you'll see:

• File metadata at the top
• Field information with types and statistics
• Data preview in a table format below

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• ctrl-q-qvd-viewer.maxPreviewRows: Maximum number of rows to load from the QVD file for preview and pagination (default: 5000, min: 100, max: 100000)

To change this setting:

1. Go to File → Preferences → Settings (or Ctrl+,)
2. Search for "Ctrl-Q QVD"
3. Adjust the "Max Preview Rows" value

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22.x or later
• npm 11.x or later
• Visual Studio Code 1.105.0 or later

Building the Extension

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ptarmiganlabs/qvd4vscode.git
   cd ctrl-q-qvd-viewer
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Run linting:

   npm run lint
   

Testing the Extension Locally

1. Open the project in VS Code:

   code .
   

2. Press F5 to start debugging

   • This will open a new VS Code window with the extension loaded
   • The extension will be in development mode

3. In the new window:

   • Open a QVD file or use Command Palette → "Open QVD File"
   • The QVD viewer should display the file contents

4. Make changes to the code and reload the extension window (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)

Creating a Test QVD File

A sample QVD file is provided in test-data/sample.qvd for testing the metadata display. To create your own test QVD files, you can:

1. Export data as QVD from Qlik Sense or QlikView
2. Use the qvd4js library programmatically
3. Use other QVD creation tools

Known Issues

• Large QVD files may take long to load; use the maxPreviewRows setting to limit display
• The extension currently provides read-only access to QVD files

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

Sponsorship

This extension is sponsored by Ptarmigan Labs, creators of the Butler suite of tools for Qlik Sense and QlikView.

License

MIT. See LICENSE file for details.

Part of the Butler family of tools for Qlik Sense and QlikView
Learn more at butler.ptarmiganlabs.com | ptarmiganlabs.com