idea ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2) in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

MarcoBoeringa — Sun, 27 May 2018 11:49:25 GMT

Currently, the ArcGIS Pro Help only shows the data for the most recent version of ArcGIS Pro. Yet, there have been breaking changes between different versions of Pro.

This issue affects especially arcpy development. Some arcpy classes have had breaking changes, that unfortunately cannot be looked up in the Help, since the Help only shows the most recent version.

For those developers seeking to maintain backward compatibility, it would be really helpful if the Pro Help showed version numbers like for ArcMap, and allowed selection of a previous version:

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

KoryKramer — Sun, 27 May 2018 12:54:23 GMT

I've marked this idea as reviewed, but in terms of breaking changes, see this note on semantic versioning for ArcGIS Pro What's new in ArcGIS Pro 2.1—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop There were breaking changes from 1.4 to 2.0, but as long was the major version remains at 2.0 there shouldn't be breaking changes.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

MarcoBoeringa — Sun, 27 May 2018 13:39:22 GMT

@Kory Kramer,

Only patch releases 1.n.x and 2.n.x are guaranteed to not introduce breaking changes. In fact, one major change (although not a breaking one but enhancement), is that the Pro 2.1 minor version finally introduced the aprx.activeMap method.

For programming with backwards compatibility in mind, these kind of new methods and functions are also vital, because calling the method in an older version will inevitably fail. That is why it is still important to be able to look up properties, methods and functions of older versions, even if the existing methods and functions of an older version did not have breaking changes in a new version.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

KoryKramer — Sun, 27 May 2018 13:43:54 GMT

Good point about "programming with backwards compatibility in mind", Marco. My only point was that users should be confident that anything they have created/written etc. in a 2.n.x version will not be broken by upgrading to another 2.n.x version. But you have a good point about new methods introduced. This idea has been marked as Reviewed. Don't forget to add your vote.

Cheers

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

ThomasColson — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 09:03:54 GMT

Another problem is that ESRI is pulling the current online help (e.g. 2.1.x ) as soon as the new version is released (e.g 2.2). All of the online help now references 2.2, when most people, due to IT policies, will be using 2.1.x for quite some time. Not sure where the assumption that everyone upgrades instantly to the new version came from...So when 3.0 comes out, or 9.0 (the version that will finally achieve ArcMap Equivalency) and there are substantial changes in how a tool or a workflow performs, what about those folks still using 2.x?

And no, per the current help, installing the Offline Pro Help is not an answer, solution, or workaround. With Arc Map we could rely on, for example, writing an SOP with hyperlinks to say, the 10.5.1 Help Topic on Publishing a Feature Class to Arc GIS Server (Don't forget to add your user story and vote to https://community.esri.com/ideas/12258 !). Now it's suggested that I get IT to perform the additional and unnecessary step of also having to install offline help, which I can't link to from any documents.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

JSturm — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 15:08:28 GMT

I ran into this problem yesterday...for the life of me the rep and I couldn't figure out why I wasn't seeing the tabs listed on the help page under the Split tool in my software. It makes no sense that the help pages would list options not present in the software. The help pages should at least contain an image showing what the tabs look like so I could confirm they were not there; also should contain language saying "may not be present in previous versions"

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

deleted-user-qpvAI3Fo0MKR — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:44:45 GMT

"So when 3.0 comes out, or 9.0 (the version that will finally achieve ArcMap Equivalency) "

Thank you Thomas Colson‌, I needed that laugh today

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

MarcoBoeringa — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:13:40 GMT

Kory Kramer‌,

With Pro 2.3 around the corner, and likely quite big and possibly (backwards) compatibility breaking changes coming up due to all the new functionality, is a versioned Pro Help anywhere on the horizon? ESRI never had issues with keeping a versioned Help for ArcGIS for Desktop alive, which was a really big asset to users and programmers, so can we expect this in the near future for Pro as well, is there any work being done to realize this?

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

KoryKramer — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 20:19:19 GMT

Marco - yes, this is something on the horizon for Pro. Versioned help will not be available when Pro 2.3 releases, but it is something that is being looked at for upcoming releases. We will update this idea's status as appropriate.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

MarcoBoeringa — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 10:17:25 GMT

Kory Kramer‌,

Thanks, good to hear!

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

BrianCunningham2 — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 13:58:15 GMT

Or how about when Pro 2.3 only supports SQL Server versions 2014+?

That's a pretty big change that could really hinder some folks if they upgrade from 2.2.x to 2.3

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

TimLangner — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 10:45:34 GMT

Strangely enough I an enquiring about this as I have 2.3 installed and I wanted to upgrade to 2.4. I am using an SQL Server 2012 and 2.4 doesn't support 2012. The database is due to be upgraded this year but until then.....

I'm now going to do some edits so hopefully by running 2.3.3 it doesn't cause errors. I'd rather not have to downgrade it. The alternative is to downgrade my ArcMap 10.7 to ArcMap 10.6.1. However, I'm trying to be modern and use ArcGIS Pro as much as possible.

This idea has only been reviewed and isn't yet under consideration. I do hope ESRI consider it. I also hope they put previous help versions on here too, rather than just doing it going forward.

Finally, a workaround is to install the offline help files from older versions.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

MarcoBoeringa — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 10:57:30 GMT

Kory Kramer‌, any updates to this issue regarding a "versioned" Help for ArcGIS Pro? Clearly, based also on other users' responses here in the thread, there is a need for this, and ESRI always supported this for ArcMap.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

KoryKramer — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:51:03 GMT

Hi Marco,

I just updated this idea's status to Under Consideration. It is something that the documentation team is actively looking into, but there are some other resource considerations that need to be taken into account before we might see this implemented for Pro doc. So it's Under Consideration but I want to set the expectation that it might not happen in the next release or two - it might be more of a mid-term project. Also, Under Consideration does not always lead to Implemented (Statuses for ArcGIS Ideas‌) but I'm hopeful that we'll be able to fulfill this request.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

PaulHoefflerGISS — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 23:18:49 GMT

I would up-vote this more than once if I could.

I'm sure maintaining only one version of the documentation has plenty of advantages for Esri, which I can appreciate, but as ArcGIS Pro is becoming more stable and more capable we can expect that these versions are going to stick around longer. Most of us are or will be operating in a mixed-version environment.

As the product matures the online documentation ought to mature with it... (gracefully)

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

ThomasColson — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 11:46:54 GMT

A bid specification for a desktop GIS suite stating that "...online documentation must support current and previous two version....blah blah blah" would accomplish this easily........

Makes one wonder what use case resulted in only the current version being available.....

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

MarcoBoeringa — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 12:51:00 GMT

Makes one wonder what use case resulted in only the current version being available.....

Honestly, I have no idea...

ESRI always made a great effort to keep at least the Help systems of previous versions of their Desktop software available, you can still access the 9.2 Help..., even though ESRI retired 9.x long ago:

ArcGIS Desktop Help 9.2 - welcome

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

ThomasColson — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 18:18:04 GMT

I frequently get email from users on an older version of Pro, with a link to the current (only) version of Pro Help, asking me why such and such isn't working. Pro, more "efficient", creating a ton more work for me.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

PaulHoefflerGISS — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 18:26:14 GMT

Esri Technical Support is looking to see if a BUG or ENHancement request has been logged on this issue, since the lack of backward versions in online documentation for ArcGIS Pro recently created a problem for them and for us. Will report back on that as more information is available.

Re: ArcGIS Pro Help should start showing version numbers (e.g. 1.0-2.1.2)

DavidWilton — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:36:07 GMT

This is also relevant when a new feature gets added. For example, arcpy.metadata what version of ArcGIS pro can I use that at? It doesn't say on the help:

Metadata—Metadata module | Documentation

The only way I can work it out is searching the release notes.

What's new in ArcGIS Pro 2.5—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Note that the above link is also just the "latest" I can't direct link to the 2.5 release notes because they are the latest (I can link to 2.4).

It would be best if the help said what version the feature was added at