topic Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning in ArcGIS Field Maps Questions

Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Wed, 25 May 2022 13:47:33 GMT

Hello Everyone,

I need some assistance with code creation whereby after I scan my barcode it will auto-populate another question on the form pertaining to "address". The calculated expressions are being applied in ArcGIS Field Maps within the Form. Please see code attached at the bottom of this posting.

I was first able to obtain some helpful code examples via github but I am definitely missing something. The examples on github center around extracting certain components from the barcode and converting them to descriptions versus the numeric code. For my situation, the entire barcode is equivalent to the address whereby each barcode is uniquely assigned to this address information.

My workflow for this is as such...I scan the barcode, it populates the "OldMeterNumber" field with 1NF314421199 and in turn populates my "Address" field with 69944 SUNNYFIELD RD.

At this point, it keeps coming up "Unknown".

Thank you for taking the time and assisting.

Jeff

var BARCODE = $feature.OldMeterNumber var address = BARCODE var d = Dictionary( "1NF314421199", "69944 SUNNYFIELD RD") if (hasKey(d, address)) { return d[address] } else { return "Unknown" }

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

KenBuja — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:08:32 GMT

If I test it in the Playground, it works properly. Are you verifying the OldMeterNumber is returning the expected value?

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:14:54 GMT

Hi Ken,

Thank you so much for responding to my inquiry!

Yes. After the scan the barcode question populates with the exact information but "Unknown" keeps coming up. I've attached a screenshot of what I am seeing on the testing side for me which maintains the "Unknown" issue.

Jeff

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:57:25 GMT

Ken,

I've also attached a screenshot of my ArcGIS Field Maps screen and where the calculated expression is being applied...if that helps to understand the entire picture.

Thanks.

Jeff

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

KenBuja — Wed, 25 May 2022 17:49:13 GMT

Make sure the test is giving you the correct Barcode with the Console function. It only reads the first record of your data.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Wed, 25 May 2022 18:08:19 GMT

I added the same entry for Console as you did and nothing appeared in Messages.

I don't know if this would affect anything on my end or not but...I have only applied this calculated expression inside the ArcGIS Field Maps Form area...not within the corresponding web map pop-ups area. This is for field crews scanning meter barcodes using the ArcGIS Field Maps app. I assumed I could go straight to ArcGIS Field Maps (web) and add calculated expressions right from there...harder than I thought it was going to be given the expression is...what I thought anyway...fairly simple. Much to my surprise.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JustinReynolds — Wed, 25 May 2022 20:00:11 GMT

Hey @JD1016. The fact the the console message returned null is the clue that you need. As Kenbuja mentioned, when you are testing in the expression builder for Field Maps it pulls test data from the first feature in your feature service. So if the address attribute for your first feature is null or you don't have any feature collected yet it will return null and execute your else statement.

It can be useful to provide test data when developing your arcade expressions

var BARCODE = $feature.OldMeterNumber // Use in Production // var address = BARCODE // Use for Testing var address = '1NF314421199' var d = Dictionary( "1NF314421199", "69944 SUNNYFIELD RD") if (hasKey(d, address)) { return d[address] } else { return "Unknown" }

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Thu, 26 May 2022 11:58:35 GMT

Hey Justin,

I thought I was on the right track with the github arcade examples for barcodes but I'm not quite sure they apply to my situation.

The code I supplied is looking for 1NF314421199 under $feature.OldMeterNumber to already be present in the database...is that correct? And...not finding it...delivers the "Unknown"?

If so, how do you get around this issue? In S123 you can use the pull data function to extract information to populate your form. I was hoping by using "Dictionary" I could in essence create my own pseudo lookup table that could, in theory, perform the same function as pull data in S123. That doesn't seem possible because it appears you need data already in the hosted feature layer to create a connection.

Thanks.

Jeff

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JustinReynolds — Thu, 26 May 2022 15:00:58 GMT

@JD1016 If you are going down the path of providing your own lookup values rather than encoding/decoding the barcode itself then I would suggest storing the lookup values in a table and accessing them by creating a featureSet rather than hard coding the dictionary in your arcade expression.

Can you provide a screenshot of what this arcade expression returns?

console("Use Barcode as a lookup value, return the address") // The real barcode scan for production // var lookupValue = $feature.OldMeterNumber; // console(">>> My Scanned Barcode: " + lookupValue); // Use for Testing, Simulate Barcode Scan, remove in production var lookupValue = '1NF314421199'; console(">>> My test lookup value: " + lookupValue); // My Hard Coded Lookup Values var d = Dictionary( "1NF314421199", "69944 SUNNYFIELD RD"); console(">>> My Lookup Values: " + d); console(" >>> Looking for " + lookupValue + " in " + d); if (hasKey(d, lookupValue)) { console(" >>> " + lookupValue + " was found! " + "Address: " + d[lookupValue]); return d[lookupValue]; } else { console(" >>> The lookupValue was NOT found!"); return "Unknown"; };

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Thu, 26 May 2022 17:40:02 GMT

Thank you so much for supplying the code. That was so unexpected and nice!

I've attached what was returned.

I opened the ArcGIS Field Maps app and the address is auto-filled already in the Address field without even scanning the barcode. Is that supposed to happen?

Unfortunately, the actual barcode segments do not contain any information specific to the address, account number, route or sequence. It's rather the "entire barcode number" itself is equivalent to this address, and this account, and this route, and this sequence. That's why the github examples, in the end, were not what I was looking for since they were extracting specific information from segments of the barcode equivalent to material, pipe size, etc...

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JustinReynolds — Thu, 26 May 2022 18:54:37 GMT

@JD1016 Nice; so now you know your logic works with the test data.

Now what happens when you comment out the test lines (lines 8 and 9) and uncomment out the production lines (lines 4 and 5)?

Notice that when you test you have a "Results" tab and a "Messages" Tab. Check those messages too. That is where the console statements are printed.

Also, an "Unknown" result here is not bad... it might even be expected based on the data you are passing as a lookup value and the lookup values that you have mapped in your dictionary.

console("Use Barcode as a lookup value, return the address") // The real barcode scan for production var lookupValue = $feature.OldMeterNumber; console(">>> My Scanned Barcode: " + lookupValue); // Use for Testing, Simulate Barcode Scan, remove in production // var lookupValue = '1NF314421199'; // console(">>> My test lookup value: " + lookupValue); // My Hard Coded Lookup Values var d = Dictionary( "1NF314421199", "69944 SUNNYFIELD RD"); console(">>> My Lookup Values: " + d); console(" >>> Looking for " + lookupValue + " in " + d); if (hasKey(d, lookupValue)) { console(" >>> " + lookupValue + " was found! " + "Address: " + d[lookupValue]); return d[lookupValue]; } else { console(" >>> The lookupValue was NOT found!"); return "Unknown"; };

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:06:23 GMT

Okay. I've attached two screen captures; one for Results and another for Messages.

You are correct that the Unknown appeared in the Results.

Please see attached.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JustinReynolds — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:13:09 GMT

@JD1016 Perfect. So this result was anticipated. Your scanned barcode is null, which is not a key in your dictionary. Your expression works. Now it is just up to you to scan a barcode that has a lookup value in your dictionary.

Note, that the reason your barcode field (feature.OldMeterNumber) is null is because when you test in the expression editor it is pulling test data from the first feature in your data. The OldMeterNumber field might not have a value in that feature. Or maybe you don't have any data collected yet.

So either edit or create feature 1 in your data so that OldMeterNumber has a value that is in your lookup table. Then when you test here, you won't get an unknown, you will get an address.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:21:49 GMT

I completely understand your logic on this and it "should" work but when I use the ArcGIS Field Maps app, scan the meter (which is in my office), it populates the barcode field with the accurate code that is in the expression but the Address line remains Unknown. It does not bring in the corresponding address.

So sorry...I wish I had better news since you are working so hard on this.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JustinReynolds — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:24:13 GMT

@JD1016 Just checking that you reloaded the map (or killed Field Maps App and relaunched it) after making your changes to the form to bring in your changes to the mobile map.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:30:31 GMT

Yes. I sure did. I went back to the Maps window, accessed Reload map, and began my scan. I actually did both...killed and relaunched it.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JustinReynolds — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:37:43 GMT

Bummer. Do you want to post a picture of that barcode. I'll see what I can come up with on my end.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:45:19 GMT

Absolutely. I've attached a screenshot. Thank you again, Justin.

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

KenBuja — Thu, 26 May 2022 20:13:07 GMT

Did you check whether the OldMeterNumber field has what you're expecting? Instead of returning the address, just return that field to test it out, skipping over the dictionary and HasKey section.

var lookupValue = $feature.OldMeterNumber; return lookupValue;

Re: Arcade Expression for Barcode Scanning

JD1016 — Fri, 27 May 2022 12:19:09 GMT

I did not. So...just so I understand...swap out all the code that is currently in the expression...and use only the two lines that you've included? Is that right?