---
source: https://qlik.dev/toolkits/qlik-api/qix/
last_updated: 2026-03-18T16:49:43Z
---

# QIX

The `@qlik/api/qix` module gives you a fully typed API to the Qlik Associative
Engine and to Qlik Sense Applications. This is built for ease of use and also
comes with the same "Sense Mixins" that Qlik's in-house developers use for
building the Qlik Sense Client application. This means that it is easier to get
the different list objects from Qlik Sense Applications. Simply setup a host
config and connect to an app.

## Can this be used instead of `enigma.js`?

[enigma.js](https://github.com/qlik-oss/enigma.js) is a library that can be used
to set up a WebSocket connection to a Qlik Sense Engine and get programmatic
interfaces to Qlik Sense App's object models. The library provides events to data
updates and has some handy features such as suspending and resuming sessions.

`@qlik/api` provides the same features, but with a lot simpler interface. It
also comes with types for the QIX API including GenericObjects, HyperCubes etc
etc. So in most cases `@qlik/api` can be used instead of `enigma.js`. Only when
you have specific configuration needs and don't want to use the
"sense mixins" `enigma.js` can be used.

## Features

### Re-using sessions

`@qlik/api/qix` will re-use existing WebSocket sessions if they are found.
It also integrates seamlessly with `@qlik/embed` libraries and will hook into
any WebSocket session already opened by any `@qlik/embed` library.

### Auto suspend/resume and re-connect

When a session gets a suspend event `@qlik/api` will automatically handle the
suspend/resume logic and attempt to re-connect to the same engine session.
Hopefully a user will never even notice that the WebSocket was closed for a
little while.

## The App session

An app session in qix means a WebSocket connected to one app by one user in qix
engine.

```js
qix.openAppSession({ ...appSessionProps });
```

The app session settings have the following properties:

- `appId` - Required string to open an App
- `identity` - Optional string to open an individual session to the same app
  that is different from the default. Useful if different selection states are
  needed simultaneously.
- `hostConfig` - Optional Hostconfig to connect to a URL and authenticate an app
  session. Only needed if default HostConfig has not been set, or if connection
  should be different from the default.
- `withoutData` - Optional boolean, set to true if app should be opened without
  loading the data blob

***note*** - when using `withoutData: true` and no `identity` the WebSocket URL
will include `/identity/no_data` to prevent that engine throws error "App is
opened in a different mode."

## Usage example

```ts
import { openAppSession } from "@qlik/api/qix";
import { setDefaultHostConfig } from "@qlik/api/auth";

setDefaultHostConfig({ ... });

// sets up a session to a Qix Engine App
appSession = openAppSession({ appId: <app-id>, identity: <empty-or-anystring>, hostConfig: <only-if-different-from-default>, withoutData: <default to false>" });
// or use the shorthand
// appSession = openAppSession(<app-id>);

// get the "qix document (qlik app)"
const app = await appSession.getDoc();

// app is now fully typed including sense-client mixins
const sheetlist = await app.getSheetList();

// sheetlist is now of the type SheetListItem[], that type is included in the package.
```

React example of getting the sheet list from a Qlik Sense app.

```tsx
import React from "react";
import usePromise from "react-use-promise";
import { useAppHook } from "@qlik/api/qix";
import { setDefaultHostConfig } from "@qlik/api/auth";

setDefaultHostConfig({ ... });

// send in the react instance (avoid unnecessary dependencies to react in @qlik/api)
const useApp = useAppHook(React);

type SheetListProps = {
  appId: string;
};

const SheetList = ({ appId }: SheetListProps): JSX.Element | null => {
  const app = useApp(appId);

  // this could be nicely wrapped in your own local getSheetList hook
  const [sheetList] = usePromise(async () => app && app.getSheetList(), [app]);
  // getSheetList above is coming from mixins, fully typed

  if (!sheetList) {
    return <div>Loading</div>;
  }
  return (
    <div>
      <div>Sheets:</div>
      {sheetList.map((item) => (
        <div key={item.qInfo?.qId}>{item.qData.title}</div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
};

export default SheetList;
```