Introduction
Welcome to Butler Sheet Icons - a powerful, cross-platform tool for automatically creating sheet thumbnail images based on the actual layout of sheets in Qlik Sense applications.
The Problem
Qlik Sense applications contain sheets with various charts, KPIs, texts, and visualizations. While sheet icons/thumbnails can provide visual guidance and help users find the right sheet quickly, creating these icons manually is time-consuming and inconsistent.
Traditional approaches include:
- Using random images from online (inconsistent and unprofessional)
- Using animated GIFs (questionable UX choice)
- Using professional icon libraries (requires manual conversion and upload)
- Manual screenshots (time-consuming and error-prone)
The Solution
Butler Sheet Icons automates the last approach - creating thumbnail images that are miniatures of the actual sheet layout. This provides the most accurate and useful representation of what users will find on each sheet.
Key Features
🚀 Cross-Platform Support
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Docker containers
☁️ Universal Qlik Sense Support
- Qlik Sense Cloud - Full support with API integration
- Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows (QSEoW) - Complete functionality
Note: Qlik Sense Desktop is not supported
📦 Easy Deployment
- Stand-alone binaries - Download and run, no installation required
- Docker images - Perfect for containerized environments
- Node.js source - For advanced users and contributors
🎯 Flexible Control
- Single app updates - Target specific applications
- Bulk operations - Update multiple apps using tags (QSEoW) or collections (QS Cloud)
- Sheet filtering - Exclude or include specific sheets
- Privacy controls - Blur sensitive sheets automatically
⚡ Automation Ready
- CI/CD integration - Perfect for automated pipelines
- Environment variables - Secure credential management
- Headless operation - Run without UI for automation
- Detailed logging - Monitor and debug operations
How It Works
Butler Sheet Icons mimics the steps a human would take to create sheet thumbnails, but with API integration for efficiency:
- Browser Login - Uses an embedded web browser to log into Qlik Sense
- Sheet Discovery - Uses Qlik Sense APIs to find all sheets in target apps
- Screenshot Capture - Navigates to each sheet and captures screenshots
- Image Processing - Resizes and optimizes images for use as thumbnails
- Upload & Assignment - Uses APIs to upload images and assign them to sheets
Use Cases
Manual Operations
- One-off updates of sheet icons in development
- Quick thumbnail generation for demo apps
- Testing different thumbnail styles
Bulk Operations
- Update all apps in a Qlik Sense environment
- Standardize thumbnails across multiple apps
- Refresh thumbnails after major sheet updates
Automated Workflows
- CI/CD Pipelines - Automatically update thumbnails during app deployment
- Scheduled Updates - Regular thumbnail refreshes
- Event-Driven - Update thumbnails when apps are modified
What Makes It Special
Unlike other approaches to sheet icons, Butler Sheet Icons:
- Shows actual content - Thumbnails reflect real sheet layouts
- Stays current - Easy to regenerate when sheets change
- Maintains consistency - Automated process ensures uniform quality
- Scales effortlessly - Handle 1 app or 100 apps with the same ease
- Preserves privacy - Built-in blurring for sensitive content
Supported Environments
Qlik Sense Cloud
- All current cloud tenants and regions
- API key authentication
- Collection-based bulk operations
- Published and private app support
Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows
- All supported QSEoW versions (see supported versions)
- Certificate-based authentication
- Tag-based bulk operations
Getting Started
Ready to automate your sheet thumbnails? Here are your next steps:
- Quick Start - Get up and running in minutes
- Installation - Choose the right deployment option
- Configuration - Set up for your environment
- Examples - See real-world usage scenarios
Community and Support
Butler Sheet Icons is an open-source project sponsored by Ptarmigan Labs. The project welcomes contributions and provides several support channels:
- GitHub - Source code, issues, and discussions
- Documentation - Comprehensive guides and examples (this site!)
- Professional Services - Commercial support and consulting available
- Newsletter - Subscribe for updates and Qlik Sense tips
Next: Learn how to get started quickly with our Quick Start Guide