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Main types of content items in ArcGIS Online
Five main types of content in ArcGIS Online relate closely to this book’s main goal—learning how to build Web GIS apps.
The main types of content items in ArcGIS Online and Portal for ArcGIS.
Typically, a web app comprises one or more web maps, which in turn include or reference one or more layers.
Data: ArcGIS Online supports data in a variety of formats, including CSV, TXT, Shapefile, GPX (GPS Exchange Format), and geodatabase.
Layers: ArcGIS Online can host layers including the aforementioned data and can reference layers that include feature layers, tiled layers, vector tiles, map image layers, image layers, scene layers, CSV layers, tables, and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard layers such as GeoRSS, Keyhole Markup Language (KML), Web Map Service (WMS), Web Map Tile Service (WMTS), and Web Feature Service (WFS).
Web maps and scenes: These maps interactively display geographic information that you can use to answer questions. A web map or scene (the 3D counterpart to a web map) comprises or references one or multiple layers.
Tools: These tools perform analytical functions, such as geocoding, routing, generating PDFs, summarizing data, finding hot spots, and analyzing proximity.
Web apps: Apps are the face of Web GIS and they are what brings Web GIS to life. Developers can program with ArcGIS web APIs to build web apps. However, you do not have to be a developer to create a web app. ArcGIS provides many templates that you can use to create impressive web apps without any programming.
Steps to creating Web GIS apps
Here is the typical workflow used to create web apps using ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise:
1 Define the objectives of your information product.
2 Search for data layers in ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Open Data (http://opendata.arcgis.com), your organization’s ArcGIS Enterprise, and/or publish your data, maps, and toolboxes as web services or web layers.
3 Create and share your web map using the map viewer.Add the layers you found and/or created to your web map.Symbolize the layers (for some types of layers only) and configure pop-ups.Save and share your web map.
4 Create and share your web app.
Browse the configurable apps to find a template that best suits your needs, and then use it to transform your web map into a web app. If no templates meet your requirements, use ArcGIS web APIs or Runtime SDKs to create your own app. After it is created, your app is private. You need to share it for others to search, discover, and use. There are different sharing levels.
ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise allow users to easily create web maps by assembling various formats of layers and to create web apps from web maps by applying app templates.
Esri Story Map Tour
Story Map Tour is one of the most popular templates in ArcGIS Online. See two screen captures of the template in the figure and live samples at http://arcg.is/2wOWLo2 (short for http://storymaps.arcgis.com/en/gallery/#s=0&md=storymaps-apps:map-tour).
Story Map Tour web app template works in a desktop browser (left), and on a smartphone.
The Story Map Tour template produces attractive, easy-to-use web apps that help you present geographic information with compelling photographic and video story elements. The template layout automatically rearranges itself to adapt to various screen sizes and can display a set of places on a map in a numbered sequence made for browsing. The template is designed for use in web browsers on the desktop, smartphones, and tablets.
Many scenarios benefit from this template:
Show the world the work your government department, organization, or agency is doing or has done.
Showcase key attractions of a city or region.
Introduce a park and its features.
Provide a tour of a campus, an outdoor art collection, or a historical district.
Educate people about areas of scientific or geographic interest.
Direct public attention to places you want to improve or protect.
Create online photo or video journals of a trip or event.This tutorial
In this tutorial, you will create a Web GIS app that introduces the main points of interest (POIs) in the City of Redlands, California.
Data: A CSV file contains data for the main POIs in Redlands, including longitude, latitude, names, descriptions, photo or video URLs, and thumbnail URLs.
The sample data for this entire book are available at esri.com/gtkwebgis3. Windows users can extract the files to C:\EsriPress. Mac users can create an EsriPress folder under your home directory and extract the files there. If you are in class, follow your instructor’s instructions to download the data.
Requirements:
Your web app should display a basemap (a street map or satellite imagery) of the city and POI locations, along with their descriptions and photos or videos.
The web app is engaging and easy to use.
The web app should work on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
System requirements:
Microsoft Excel or a text editor to create and edit your CSV data.CSV easily represents points, though not complex geometric forms such as lines and polygons.Excel automatically maintains correct CSV format (for example, adding correct quotes).
A web browser.
ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS.A publisher or administrator level account: If your organization offers ArcGIS Online for Organizations or Portal for ArcGIS, ask your administrator or instructor to create an account for you. Otherwise, create a free trial account. Creating a trial organizational account will make you the administrator of the organization, which will allow you to create hosted feature layers.
Note to instructors: Optionally, you can create a group for your students in which they can share their work with other members.1.1 Create an ArcGIS Online trial account
You will skip this section if you already have an account for ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS.
If your organization has ArcGIS Online for Organizations
