topic Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements in ArcGIS API for Flex Questions

Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

SchoppMatthieu — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 06:52:00 GMT

Hello,

I'd like to know how to handle the "customTextElements" property of the LayoutOptions (PrintTask) back in the template.mxd
"title" and "author" use standard "dynamic text" - (e.g. <dyn type="document" property="title"/>)

What about customTextElements ?

Can we send other objects like an overview map to the printing-geoprocessing service ?

Can I find somewhere some documentation about how to extend the printing geoprocessing tool ?

Cheers,

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

DasaPaddock — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:22:43 GMT

Documentation is available at:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/#/Printing_in_web_applications/0154000004w5000000/

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

SchoppMatthieu — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:12:34 GMT

Thank you very much for your answer, 😄

I've read the documentation.
The only reference to "customTextElements" I can find is in the "Export Web Map Specification" Chapiter:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//0154000004w8000000

It is said :
Page layout elements include title, copyright text, scale bar, author name, and custom text elements.

customTextElements (optional): This is an array of name-value pairs. You need to use this if you want to update text of a text element (that is not dynamic text) on the page layout. Values must be strings.

The JSON looks like this:

"customTextElements" : [
{"<textElementName1>" : "<value1>"},
{"<textElementName2>" : "<value2>"}
],

However I couldn't find any info about how to handle customTextElements in the mxd itself. :confused:
The fact that it is not using "dynamic text" is disturbing, the answer must be really simple but I don't have a clue and I can't find anything on internet.

My goal is to get a "Description" text element on the printed map that the user can fill out on the client side.

Has anyone used "customTextElements" already ?

Cheers

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

DasaPaddock — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:25:38 GMT

Try this in ArcMap:

1.       In the layout template, switch to �??Layout View�?�
2.       Go to Insert menu and then select �??Text�?� element. A new text element is added to the layout.
3.       Right click on the text element and select �??Properties�?�.
4.       Go to �??Size and Position�?� tab
5.       Give the text element a unique identifier in �??Element Name�?� text box.

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

SchoppMatthieu — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:43:19 GMT

Thank you again for your help but it didn't work.

Which name am I suppose to give to the text element ? the name of the parameter I sent "customTextElements" ?
Which text then am I supposed to give to my text element as it doesn't accept an empty caption.

Does anyone has used "customTextElements" before ? please help !

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

DasaPaddock — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 14:00:13 GMT

Yes, the name you choose would then be the property name for the value in the customTextElements Object.

See:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/flex-api/apiref/com/esri/ags/tasks/supportClasses/LayoutOptions.html#customTextElements

I'd suggest contacting Tech Support if you need further assistance with this.
http://support.esri.com/

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

JayHalligan — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:01:47 GMT

I am trying to accomplish the same thing, any luck? What does you mxml file look like?

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

ValentinaBoycheva — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 21:31:37 GMT

I made this work directly from the markup, with a bit of ActionScript thrown in the mix. Assuming that the custom template contains a text element named "myCustomTextElement" and the template has been registered with AGS:


[Bindable] private var customcontent:String ='This is line one.\nThis is line two.';
[Bindable] private var customTextElems:Object;

private function init():void{
 customTextElems = new Object;

 customTextElems.myCustomTextElement = customcontent;
  this.printParameters.layoutOptions.customTextElements = customTextElems;

   printTask.getServiceInfo();
}

<esri:PrintParameters id="printParameters"
    format="PDF"
    layoutTemplate="MyCustomTemplate"
    <esri:layoutOptions>
        <esri:LayoutOptions author="Author: ArcGIS for Flex Team"
            copyright="Copyright: © ArcGIS for Server"
            title="My Map">  
        </esri:LayoutOptions>
    </esri:layoutOptions>
</esri:PrintParameters>

For the record, I tried to implement everything in the markup but the Flex compiler did not allow me to bind a fx:String element. This is strange, as Adobe documentation has an example for string binding. Anyway, if the fx:String value is hard-coded, then the code works.

<esri:PrintParameters id="printParameters"

    format="PDF"                                      
   layoutTemplate="MyCustomTemplate"
    map="{map}" >


<esri:layoutOptions>[INDENT]<esri:LayoutOptions author="Author: ArcGIS for Flex Team"
[/INDENT]
[INDENT]            copyright="Copyright: © ArcGIS for Server"
[/INDENT]
[INDENT]            title="My Map"> 
[/INDENT]
 [INDENT=2]<esri:customTextElements>
[/INDENT]
[INDENT=3]<fx:Object>
[/INDENT]
[INDENT=4]<fx:myCustomTextElement>
[/INDENT]
[INDENT=5]<fx:String id="actualText">{customcontent}</fx:String> (error raised �??Data binding expression not allowed here�?�)
[/INDENT]
[INDENT=4]</fx:myCustomTextElement>
[/INDENT]
[INDENT=3]</fx:Object>
[/INDENT]
[INDENT=2]</esri:customTextElements>
[/INDENT]
 [INDENT]</esri:LayoutOptions>
[/INDENT]
 </esri:layoutOptions>


</esri:PrintParameters>

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

DasaPaddock — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:21:03 GMT

You can also create the object like this:

<fx:Object myCustomTextElement="{customcontent}"/>

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

ValentinaBoycheva — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:43:12 GMT

You can also create the object like this:

<fx:Object myCustomTextElement="{customcontent}"/>

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, that did not work for me - no errors thrown, but the custom text element displayed the default value defined in the template mxd. For some reason the object binding just won't work from the markup. I have to force-feed the value during component initialization.

FB 4, all updates installed.

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

SchoppMatthieu — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 07:12:04 GMT

Thank you very much for your help Dasa 🙂

I finally extended the print service with Python, add a "String" parameter called whatEver.
When the client call the service and pas a whatEver parameter, python handle it using ListLayoutElements in the mxd :

Comments = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(3)
if Comments == '#' or not Comments:
    Comments = ' '

for whatEverString in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
    if whatEverString.name == "WhatEver":
        whatEverString.text = Comments

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

RaduMihai — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 05:49:35 GMT

What about customTextElements ?

I have the same question I read all the documentations I could get my hand on however I found nothing concrete about how to use this customtextElements,there are no samples,tuts..

I am wondering in which way can this customTextElements become useful for a Javascript developer

My problem started when the question was raised: "How can I include any other optional text on the printed version of the map ?"

Re: Print Task API3 AGS 10.1 Layout Option CustomTextElements

SchoppMatthieu — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 16:14:37 GMT

Finally I had to come back on this one and I've got it working :

In client side (javascript) :

printTemplate.format = MapConfig.printService.format;

printTemplate.layout = PrWidget.mapTemplatesFilteringSelect.get('displayedValue');

printTemplate.preserveScale = false;

printTemplate.layoutOptions = {

titleText:PrWidget.titleTextBox.get("value"),

customTextElements:[

{Entite:PrWidget.entiteTextBox.get("value")},

{Rue:PrWidget.rueTextBox.get("value")},

{CodePostal:PrWidget.codepostalTextBox.get("value")},

{Ville:PrWidget.villeTextBox.get("value")},

{Contact:PrWidget.contactTextBox.get("value")},

{Mail:PrWidget.mailTextBox.get("value")},

{Telephone:PrWidget.telephoneTextBox.get("value")},

{Fax:PrWidget.faxTextBox.get("value")}

]

};

It will automatically search for text elements in the mxd template base on textElement elementName that matches the keys (if I've got a textElement which elementName in "Entite" in my mxd, then it will update it with the value I defined).

This prevent to add "extraParameters" just for updating text in the template.