diff --git a/SKILL.md b/SKILL.md
index c9c8297..d47fb2e 100644
--- a/SKILL.md
+++ b/SKILL.md
@@ -109,6 +109,36 @@ Use the template `templates/Reload_wrapped.bat`. Substitute:
 Warn user: all `git commit` commands use `--allow-empty` so they never
 fail even when nothing changed.
 
+## Step 6b: Populating tableboxes programmatically
+
+QlikView's COM `TableBoxProperties.Fields.Add()` is BROKEN on modern QV
+(returns "null-valued expression"). The working pattern is
+`$tableBox.AddField($fieldName)` — called directly on the SheetObject, NOT on
+its properties. Use template `templates/populate_tablebox.ps1`:
+
+```powershell
+powershell -File populate_tablebox.ps1 `
+    -QvwPath "C:\path\to\app.qvw" `
+    -SheetName "Cash Flow" `
+    -Fields @("%ProdPODateKey","cf_category","cf_payment_date","cf_amount_ron")
+```
+
+The script creates the sheet if missing (case-insensitive substring match on
+name), creates a fresh TableBox on it, and calls AddField per entry.
+Fields that don't exist in the data model fail silently — pass
+`-ReplaceExisting $true` to purge existing TBs on the sheet first (removes
+duplicates when re-running with corrected field lists).
+
+Common gotchas:
+- Field must exist in a RESIDENT table at save time. `Dim*` / `Fact*` tables
+  often get dropped in a final-schema-reduction step — their fields won't
+  populate. Check the `1700.ExportCSV.qvs`-style DROP list.
+- `%CompoundKey`-style field names (`%ProdPODateKey`, `%SupplierPOKey`) work
+  fine — the `%` prefix is literal.
+- For Dim-only fields that DO survive (e.g. after renaming a drop list),
+  run the `qvw-extract-script` skill first to audit what's actually in the
+  final QVW schema.
+
 ## Step 7: Changing the script include path (if needed)
 
 If the QVW's embedded script points at an old `9.QVSvN` folder and needs
diff --git a/templates/populate_tablebox.ps1 b/templates/populate_tablebox.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bece03f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/populate_tablebox.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+# populate_tablebox.ps1 — create a new sheet with a populated TableBox on a QVW.
+#
+# IMPORTANT: use TableBox.AddField($fieldName) — NOT TableBoxProperties.Fields.Add()
+# (which fails on modern QV Document COM with "null-valued expression").
+#
+# Usage:
+#   powershell -File populate_tablebox.ps1 `
+#       -QvwPath "C:\path\to\app.qvw" `
+#       -SheetName "Cash Flow (v9)" `
+#       -Fields @("%ProdPODateKey","cf_category","cf_payment_date","cf_amount_ron","ext_supplier_code")
+#
+# The sheet is CREATED if it doesn't match `$SheetName` (case-insensitive substring).
+# A fresh TableBox is always created on the sheet. Existing TBs are NOT deleted —
+# pass -ReplaceExisting $true to remove old TBs on the sheet first.
+
+param(
+    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string]$QvwPath,
+    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string]$SheetName,
+    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string[]]$Fields,
+    [bool]$ReplaceExisting = $false
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Continue"
+if (-not (Test-Path $QvwPath)) { throw "QVW not found: $QvwPath" }
+
+$qv = New-Object -ComObject QlikTech.QlikView
+$doc = $qv.OpenDoc($QvwPath, "", "")
+if (-not $doc) { throw "OpenDoc returned null for $QvwPath" }
+Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
+
+# Find or create the sheet
+$targetSheet = $null
+$targetSheetId = $null
+for ($i=0; $i -lt $doc.NoOfSheets(); $i++) {
+    $s = $doc.GetSheet($i)
+    $sp = $s.GetProperties()
+    $nm = $null
+    try { $nm = $sp.Name } catch { try { $nm = $sp.Name.v } catch {} }
+    if ($nm -and ($nm -like "*$SheetName*" -or $nm -eq $SheetName)) {
+        $targetSheet = $s
+        $targetSheetId = $sp.SheetId
+        Write-Host "sheet exists: $nm (id=$targetSheetId)"
+        break
+    }
+}
+if (-not $targetSheet) {
+    $targetSheet = $doc.CreateSheet()
+    $sp = $targetSheet.GetProperties()
+    try { $sp.Name = $SheetName } catch { try { $sp.Name.v = $SheetName } catch {} }
+    $targetSheet.SetProperties($sp)
+    $targetSheetId = $targetSheet.GetProperties().SheetId
+    Write-Host "sheet created: $SheetName (id=$targetSheetId)"
+}
+
+# Optionally remove existing TBs on the sheet (reads -prj XML to find them)
+if ($ReplaceExisting) {
+    $prjPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($QvwPath) + "\" + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($QvwPath) + "-prj"
+    $prjXml = Join-Path $prjPath "QlikViewProject.xml"
+    if (Test-Path $prjXml) {
+        $xml = [xml](Get-Content $prjXml)
+        $sheetNode = $xml.PrjQlikViewProject.SHEETS.PrjSheetProperties | Where-Object { $_.SheetId -eq "Document\$targetSheetId" }
+        if ($sheetNode) {
+            foreach ($ch in $sheetNode.ChildObjects.PrjFrameParentDef) {
+                if ($ch.ObjectId -like "Document\TB*") {
+                    $tbId = $ch.ObjectId.Replace("Document\","")
+                    try {
+                        $tb = $doc.GetSheetObject("Document\$tbId")
+                        if ($tb) { $tb.Close() | Out-Null; Write-Host "  - removed $tbId" }
+                    } catch {}
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+# Create fresh tablebox
+$tb = $targetSheet.CreateTableBox()
+Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 400
+
+# Populate via AddField (THIS is the working pattern)
+$added = 0; $failed = @()
+foreach ($f in $Fields) {
+    try {
+        $tb.AddField($f) | Out-Null
+        $added++
+    } catch {
+        $failed += $f
+    }
+}
+Write-Host "populated $added/$($Fields.Count) fields"
+if ($failed.Count) { Write-Host "missed: $($failed -join ', ')" }
+
+$doc.Save()
+Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 500
+$doc.CloseDoc()
+$qv.Quit()
+Write-Host "DONE"