Unable to search a geojsonlayer that is not added to the view when the map loads

Question

Hello,

I created a geojsonLayers from a local json file. However, the definitionExpression is set to "1=0" so none of the points show when the page loads. The points visibility is triggered by checkboxes in a menu that update the definitionExpression. This works fine.

The problem is that the search UI doesn't search that jsonlayer because none of the points are actually added to the view when the map loads.

Is there a solution to that? Probably a different approach.

A solution I found was to reload the json file in the search source, but then I lose the jsonrender define for the jsonlayer.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks!

Ben

Fox71 · Answer

Jeffrey, the code doesn't work in this case. If the user start by using a button, the definitionExpression remove all other points and the search only finds what the points included with the definitionExpression. The code only works after the page loads and the user use the search (all points from that layer are just invisible but available to search). Once the user clicks a button, the query limits what available to the search in that jsonlayer.... if I'm not mistaken

Fox71 · Answer

Thanks a lot Jeffrey for the example.

I was able to update my code to use your approach. But I'm still having the issue of the icon on the search results.

I use a renderer on the jsonlayer to assign different icons to groups of points (the ones toggled by checkboxes). While the search seems to retrieve every points, it doesn't render icons that are define in the renderer of the jsonlayer.

JeffreyWilkerson · Answer

Visibility is separate from the Definition Expression thing. My point is that you don't need to rely on definition expression to control the layer's visibility. If you 'load' the layer at the beginning with it turned off, you aren't worrying about it being visible with any defined expression, but when you the user generates an expression you can turn visibility on to display the results. Maybe this example will help: Example resetting a FeatureLayer's Definition Expression with Visibility