topic Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point in ArcGIS Survey123 Questions

Using pull data to looking up closest point

StuartMoore — Thu, 25 May 2017 14:47:15 GMT

Has anyone tried using the pull data to identify the closest point of another dataset to the geopoint and retrieve a value something like the near toolbox function in arcmap.

It's a bit like using the pulldata function and a calculation in one go that takes the current location of the geopoint and calculates the distance to a list of points within a csv file and then returns their site name

thanks

Stu

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

JamesTedrick — Fri, 26 May 2017 19:54:00 GMT

Hi Stuart,

The pulldata function is an attribute only function. We have a set of enhancements we are considering to perform spatial-type searches; I'll add the 'nearest point' case to it (it's mostly been proposed as point in poly).

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

AlisonFischer — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 20:53:29 GMT

Hi,

Adding the nearest point function would be useful for my workflow too. Any idea as to when this might be available, even in the beta version?

Thanks!

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

JamesTedrick — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 20:09:02 GMT

Hi Alison,

A form of this is available now using the in-beta custom JavaScript functions. Please check the Early Adopter Community for more information.

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

JulienCHARBONNAUD — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 10:51:17 GMT

Hello James Have you made progress with regard to this subject to find in a list the GPS position closest to the measurement point? Thank you A + J

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

chaims — Sat, 07 Aug 2021 20:01:37 GMT

Hello @JamesTedrick , is there an example for a "closest point" (or line)? I've seen only examples of an intersecting polygon and was trying to figure it out for points and lines as well. Thank you...

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

YuliaMamonova — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 02:45:37 GMT

Hi, have you figured this out? Please let me know, I'm struggling with the same thing

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

PeterMacKenzie2 — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 12:26:47 GMT

Yes, a nearest feature example using a Javascript pulldata function would be awesome to see.

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

IsmaelChivite — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 21:42:07 GMT

https://github.com/IsmaelInRedlands/Survey123-Tricks-of-the-Trade/blob/main/getNearestRecord

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

ChaimSchwartzIroads — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 20:21:40 GMT

This looks really great, if I ever have the need again and implement it I promise to post. Thank you for sharing the example!!

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

utenalarosa — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 19:03:34 GMT

@IsmaelChivite Can this be use in a public survey?

Thanks

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

oribecco_SMJV — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 18:58:39 GMT

Hello @IsmaelChivite ,

After using your script and mimicking the fields in your screenshot, the 'city_json' field returns the feature layer feature service link, and the 'closest_city' field respectively returns a blank. Any idea why this might be happening?

Thanks

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

Tim-Woodfield — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 18:49:02 GMT

@IsmaelChivite Is this still the best way to accomplish the closest feature search? Are there any options for a public survey like the "?distance=" search? Not sure in what order those records are returned or if they could be sorted by distance.

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

mikaël — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:30:19 GMT

Is this still the best solution to get a nearest record?

Trying to get the nearest polyline from a geopoint question.

Thanks!

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

Erwinvan_Veen1 — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:20:16 GMT

Since 2017, have there been any updates on this feature?

Pulldata not sufficient
Currently, we are getting suboptimal results using de pulldata() function, because it returns the first found feature rather than the closest feature. This compromises our data quality.

In this instance I am using pulldata() in a Survey 123 application in which residents can report an issue to us. I (need to) use an Arcade expression in Field Maps for the people who work on the issue. Field Maps produces a different (in this case: more accurate) result. Hence, the streetname we use differs for the same location.

Javascript is not an option, Arcade is?
Sadly, Javascript is not an option in our case because we apply this functionality in publicly shared surveys. Using ArcGIS Arcade there are some great examples out there to actually find the closest feature. For example: From the Smart Editor to Smart Forms (esri.com). It would be great if there are enhancements through which we can use Arcade in publicly shared surveys.

Lastly, it would be great if different Esri products would work closer together.

Any updates would be much appreciated.

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

IGTLab_Empress — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 23:51:21 GMT

Has anyone else been able to expand on this conundrum? I'm using Survey123 Connect and am trying to pull attribute data from the nearest point to another point that I'm plotting on a survey. I tried the script that @IsmaelChivite posted, but it hasn't populated in the way that I've hoped yet. Any input would be appreciated!

Re: Using pull data to looking up closest point

Erwinvan_Veen1 — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:05:21 GMT

Far from ideal and far from accurate, I currently use the below calculation. Although it does not get the actual nearest point, it does provide an indication of the nearest by limiting the search distance. For our usecase this is sufficient to give an indication of the nearest street name. This is purely to provide an indication, not important for the actual data.

pulldata("@layer", "getValueAt", "attributes.<ATTRIBUTE>", "https://<URL>/arcgis/rest/services/<SERVICE>/FeatureServer/<LAYERID>?distance=25&units=esriSRUnit_Meter", ${GEOMETRY_NAME})

What I use as a better solution is in a web map use an Arcade expression to find the actual nearest feature. Admittedly, I have the advantage we only use Survey123 to get reports which ArcGIS Online users then edit using a web map. So I am lucky I can use Arcade expressions in a Form. That Arcade expression is adapted from From the Smart Editor to Smart Forms.

// https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/from-the-smart-editor-to-smart-forms/

var wegvak = FeatureSetByName($map, "<POLYGONLAYER_STREETNAMES>")

var bufferedLocation = Buffer($feature, 500, 'meters')

var candidateWegvakken = Intersects(wegvak, bufferedLocation)

var featuresWithDistances = []

for (var f in candidateWegvakken) {

Push(featuresWithDistances,

{

'distance': Distance($feature, f, 'feet'),

'feature': f

}

)

}

// Sort the candidates by distance using a custom function

function sortByDistance(a, b) {

return a['distance'] - b['distance']

}

var sorted = Sort(featuresWithDistances, sortByDistance)

// Get the closest candidate

var closestFeatureWithDistance = First(sorted)

// If there was no candidate, return null

if (IsEmpty(closestFeatureWithDistance)) { return null }

// Return the candidate name attribute value

return `${closestFeatureWithDistance['feature']['<STREET_NAME>']}`

Frankly, it's great and all we can use AI in Survey123, but we still cannot properly use Arcade expressions and use other coordinate systems in Survey123. I think the priorities are mixed up here..