Opening a Layer with Full Editing Control

jcarlson

I really love the option to open my layers in a map with editing control. There are those rare cases where a layer needs a quick fix, and I don't necessarily want to create editable views of everything just in case.

I notice that the only difference between opening it this way is the parameter isAdmin=true. This seems to be specific to the Classic Map Viewer, and only when a single layer is being opened, not an existing map.

My question: what is actually happening when that parameter is passed?

I would love to be able to do the same in other contexts if it's possible.

ChrisWhitmore

Hi Josh,

That is a great question and informs the behavior for supporting the same workflow in the new Map Viewer. As the owner / administrator of the hosted fl, you automatically have full ability to manage and update the layer (you can try this by using your owner token to make an edit directly at REST for a service tht doesnt support editing) . Typically (web) apps will honor the editing capabilities on the service regardless of your identity so you can see the same experience your audience will see when engaging with the layer. As such, Map Viewer Classic made the full control editing option explicit to help make clear it is different than what service editing capabilities might be configured for the layer (there are some other technical reasons related to generalization vs full fidelity of features when editing vs non-editing in play as well).

In (new) Map Viewer however, layer owners / administrators are automatically provided full control without requiring an opt-in option like in MVC. There is in-line messaging at key spots to still make it clear when an owner is able to edit outside of the editing capabilities defined on the service (which is still important when authoring maps / apps and need confidence in how things will look for your audience). Additionally, the other technical bits for generalization are handled automatically in MV / 4x JSAPI so the need for separating these workflows is no longer needed from this perspective either.

 

Hope this helps clarify. Cheers!

Chris