qvw-preserve-interface/SKILL.md

name

description

qvw-preserve-interface

Protect QVW interface edits (sheets, tableboxes, charts, listboxes) from being destroyed by reload-save cycles. Sets up local git tracking of the -prj/ folder, enables QlikView's native auto-backup, installs a rolling 20-slot QVW backup, and wraps the reload BAT with pre/post-reload git commits so every interface edit is recoverable even if the QVW binary gets clobbered. Use this skill when the user says "my interface disappeared", "reload overwrote my edits", "protect my QVW objects", "version-control the QlikView app", "set up git for the QVW project", or mentions losing tableboxes/charts after a reload. Also apply proactively when scaffolding any new QVW project that will be reloaded repeatedly. Uses the COM GetProperties/SetProperties pattern (NOT SetScript — which doesn't exist on modern QV Document).

QVW Interface Preservation (git-backed)

You are setting up a git-based safety net for QlikView Desktop projects so that every interface edit survives reload cycles. Without this, QV's default behaviour can silently drop charts/tableboxes whose source fields change during a reload.

Why this is needed (the failure mode)

1. User opens app.qvw in QlikView, adds a tablebox or chart, saves.
2. Reload BAT fires (qv.exe /r app.qvw) — QV re-executes the script, which may rename/drop fields, then saves.
3. Objects referencing dropped/renamed fields are silently removed from the saved .qvw binary.
4. QV's native ring-buffer backup (BackupKeepCopies=4 by default) gets evicted within a day of reload cycles → user's edit is unrecoverable.

The fix: put every -prj/ XML under git before each reload.

Step 1: Gather inputs

Ask the user for:

1. Project root — e.g. C:\Users\...\MyProject\. Must contain the QVW and the reload BAT.
2. QVW filename — e.g. MyProject_v3.qvw. (If multiple QVWs, ask which one.)
3. Reload BAT filename — e.g. Reload_MyProject.bat. (Often in 8.BAT\.)

Read the project layout to confirm those exist before proceeding.

Step 2: Enable QlikView's native auto-backup

Check %APPDATA%\QlikTech\QlikView\Settings.ini for these keys:

[Settings 7]
BackupBeforeReload=1
BackupEnable=1
BackupKeepCopies=4          ; QV default; user can raise
AlwaysGenerateProject=1     ; required so -prj/ is populated on save

If any are missing, add them. Explain to the user that AlwaysGenerateProject=1 is essential — without it the -prj/ folder doesn't get the XML files that git tracks.

Step 3: Initialize git in the project root

cd <PROJECT_ROOT>
git init
git config user.email "<user email>"
git config user.name  "<user name>"

Step 4: Write the .gitignore

Critical: Windows git is case-insensitive by default, so *.qvw would match the folder 4.Apps.QVW/ and ignore everything inside it (including the precious -prj/ subfolders). Use the .gitignore template templates/.gitignore from this skill, which has the case-insensitive fix:

• Ignores **/*.qvw, **/*.qvf, **/*.qvd, **/*.qvw.bak* (actual binary files)
• Ignores /4.Apps.QVW/backups/** and /4.Apps.QVW/_recovery/**
• Re-includes /4.Apps.QVW/**/*-prj/ and its contents (the ! rules come AFTER the ignore rules)
• Ignores logs, .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, *.tmp
• Ignores 4.Apps.QVW/Version * of * (QV's native backup files, too big)

Copy the template to <PROJECT_ROOT>/.gitignore and adapt paths if the project doesn't follow the QQinfo 4.Apps.QVW/ convention — ask the user.

Step 5: Install Backup_QVW.ps1 (rolling buffer)

Copy templates/Backup_QVW.ps1 into <PROJECT_ROOT>/8.BAT/ (or wherever BATs live). Default retention is 20 slots (parameter -Keep), so a day of reloads can't evict a good edit. This runs BEFORE each reload as a fallback safety net in case git isn't enough (e.g. if the user forgot to enable AlwaysGenerateProject).

Step 6: Wrap the reload BAT with git commits

The reload BAT must do, in order:

1. Pre-reload git add -A && git commit — captures whatever manual edits the user made since the last reload.
2. Backup QVW to rolling buffer (Backup_QVW.ps1 -Keep 20).
3. qv.exe /r <APP_PATH> — the actual reload.
4. Post-reload git add -A && git commit — captures script-side changes so you can diff "user edits" vs "reload output".

Use the template templates/Reload_wrapped.bat. Substitute:

• %PROJECT_ROOT% — the project root
• %APP_PATH% — the QVW to reload
• %LOG_FILE% — where to append reload log (usually 10.QQlog\)

Warn user: all git commit commands use --allow-empty so they never fail even when nothing changed.

Step 7: Changing the script include path (if needed)

If the QVW's embedded script points at an old 9.QVSvN folder and needs to target a new one (e.g. during a version bump), use COM script injection via GetProperties / SetProperties. The legacy SetScript() method does NOT exist on modern QV Document COM. Template at templates/inject_include.ps1. Usage:

powershell -File inject_include.ps1 `
    -QvwPath "C:\path\to\app.qvw" `
    -NewInclude "C:\path\to\9.QVSv9\0100.MustInclude.qvs"

The script calls $doc.GetProperties() → sets .Script → $doc.SetProperties($props) → .Save().

Step 8: Make the initial commit

cd <PROJECT_ROOT>
git add -A
git commit -m "Initial commit: QVS/config/-prj tracked; binaries excluded"
git tag initial

Then verify with git log --oneline and confirm the -prj/*.xml files made it into the commit (not just .qvs/.csv). Run git check-ignore -v 4.Apps.QVW/<app>-prj/TB01.xml to confirm NOT ignored.

Step 9: Tell the user what to do when disaster strikes

If a reload destroys an object:

1. git log --oneline --all -- 4.Apps.QVW/<app>-prj/ — find the last commit that had it.
2. git show <commit>:4.Apps.QVW/<app>-prj/TB05.xml — recover the XML.
3. Paste the XML back into the -prj/ folder and "Import from project" in QlikView, OR restore the whole QVW from the rolling buffer: cp 4.Apps.QVW/backups/<name>_<ts>.qvw 4.Apps.QVW/<name>.qvw.

Step 10: Post-install verification

Run the reload BAT once end-to-end. Confirm:

• Two new git commits appear (pre-reload + post-reload).
• A new .qvw lands in 4.Apps.QVW/backups/.
• The -prj/ folder is populated with fresh XML timestamps.
• git check-ignore -v on any -prj/*.xml returns empty (NOT ignored).

If any of those fail, diagnose before declaring success.

Common gotchas

• Filename with spaces/typos (e.g. QQpo_v2 inerface preps.qvw) — QV COM OpenDoc returns null silently. Rename to a clean path before scripting.
• .qvw.bak.qvf is QV's native one-off backup (same content, renamed). Safe to keep — gitignore already excludes.
• Version N of <app>.qvw — also QV native backups. Gitignored.
• Tableboxes in "show all fields of table" mode self-heal after field renames. Tableboxes with explicit field lists do NOT — user has to re-edit.
• Branch protection — the local-only setup has no remote by design. If the user wants off-site backup, run git remote add origin ... as a follow-up step (Gitea / GitHub / Forgejo).