topic Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget in ArcGIS Web AppBuilder Questions

Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

mthompson — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 19:40:42 GMT

I'd like to create a custom print service that uses a report template configured to pull the results of the Public Notification widget in one of our ArcGIS Online apps. I'd like to pull the value used as the "Search Distance" and one or 2 fields from the "Subject" feature as the header, and then a table of the parcels that intersect the buffer with several of their attributes.

In this image, the orange property would be the subject, and the blue properties would be the intersecting features.

I have created a Report in ArcGIS Pro, set up the look the way I want it and got the table to pull values from a selection I did in a Pro map. Right now the header data is all plain text except the dynamic date. I'm hoping it is possible to use tags or something to pull the necessary values from the Public Notification widget.

I am hoping this can be done without needing Developer Edition of Web AppBuilder, but am open to trying it out.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 08:42:23 GMT

@mthompson

I'm so sorry for the delay.

Unfortunately I don't have good news for you at this point. I need to think it through a bit and see whether I can come up with some workaround.

Here are the big issues that you will face right off the bat:

Apparently the Public Notification widget does not use print service, nor does it allow you to change its configuration to use a print service.
- that could be an enhancement request for the widget
Because of the above limitation, you need to do it in 2 steps
1. use the Public Notification widget to select abutting properties, and
2. then use the Print widget to generate a map and a report
That leads to the next issue
- after selecting all parcels using the Public Notification widget,
- if you open the Print widget,
  - all selection gets cleared out
- I found a workaround albeit very odd though
  - once Print widget is open, apparently you can still click on a parcel and perform the selection.
Since the Public Notification widget and the Print widget are two different widgets, and they are disjointed, clicking the Print widget is not going to solve your problem.
The print service on your server side, needs to be a custom arcpy based service.
- because of #5, the request that comes to the print service, does not have all the information that you need for your report.
  - basically they need to be done again in the arcpy code
    - let me see whether I can come up with some solution very quick

Finally, would you mind share your .rptx file - the report file that you generated in ArcGIS Pro here. I can use that as a starting point.

Thanks

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

mthompson — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 12:56:34 GMT

Thank you very much for your reply, it seems this is a lot more difficult than I had hoped. I have attached a copy of the RPTX file.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:22 GMT

@mthompson

Okay, I got something for you try. There are few hoops that we need to jump thru. That is because all the limitations that I mentioned above.
I will try my best to explain:

Here are two things that I have attached here:

a sample output pdf containing a map and abutters list that will looks like this
a zip file containing:
- a gp tool with python files
- a .pagx file (ArcGIS Pro layout file)
- a .rptx file (ArcGIS Pro report file)
  - both pagx and rptx files are named the same
    - :warning:this is requirement.

What changes I made in .pagx & .rptx files:

In layout template file (.pagx)
- added a new text element
  - that is outside of the page to make sure it does not show up in the output
    - the report generation process use this later
  - this is named "{Buffer Distance}" - note it is embedded within a setup of curly braces
    - :warning: if you ever change its name, you need to update the python code
  - you will see later how and where it shows up in this workflow
- if you want to use your own layout, that is okay, just make sure (a) it has one text element like this one, and (b) the pagx file must be named same as the rptx file
In report file (.rptx)
- The highlighted text below are like keywords that the python code looks for and replace them with correct values during a job.
- :warning:if you ever wanted to replace them, you would need to update the python code too.

What do you need to do:

Download the zip file and unzip in a local folder on your machine
Update the .rptx file
- open it in ArcGIS Pro
- remove the layer in the map that will be imported in the Pro session as part of importing the .rptx file
- add your parcel layer off your map or feature service
- update field list used in the report's details section
- Save it as a Report File -- over write the existing one
Add the folder where you unzipped the zip file in Pro
Open the Export Web Map script tool inside the Printing.tbx
- choose the folder that has both .pagx and rptx file for Layout Template Folder
- you will see the pagx file name showing up in Layout Template drop down
- Run it
Open Get Layout Template Info tool
- choose the same folder that you selected in the step above
- Run it
Publish/share both gp results as a gp service
see https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/latest/create-web-apps/windows/tutorial-publish-additional-layouts-for-printing-with-arcgis-pro.htm for more info
Once published, use the service in a web app builder Print widget
Once your web app is all setup correctly with a Public Notification widget and a Print widget, here is what you need to do:
- click the Public Notification widget
  - click a parcel and let the selection process finish
- click the Print widget - you will see all selection are cleared out
  - if you click on the parcel again, you will see the Public Notification process will still work 🙂
  - select AbuttersList Map and Report template
  - click Advanced button
  - you will see Buffer Distance text box
    - enter the buffer distance you used in the Public Notification widget
      this is the only thing you need to do manually. Unfortunately I didn't find any automated way to retrieve that info.
  - click Print button
  - now wait.... hopefully it will work fine on your side and you will get a pdf containing a map and abutters list 🙂

Please let me if you run into any issues.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

LucasMNDNR — Thu, 06 May 2021 18:06:48 GMT

@TanuHoque

Would this also work if you had related tables?

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Fri, 07 May 2021 07:18:07 GMT

@LucasMNDNR
would you mind explain a bit more on your requirements?

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

LucasMNDNR — Fri, 07 May 2021 12:59:30 GMT

@TanuHoque

I have worked through several of your examples now and i can get them to work with just hosted features, but when i try to add related tables to my report the published tool fails to print. I have hosted features with 4 related tables. Link to RPTX file

Just curious if you think related tables would be supported?

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Wed, 12 May 2021 18:00:31 GMT

hi @LucasMNDNR,

Sorry for the delayed response. Unfortunately it is not supported out of the box, as you have already figured out. I'm working on to find any workarounds. I will update you once I figure something out (or not).

thanks for sharing the rptx file.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

Anonymous User — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:06:10 GMT

Hi All, my requirement is also similar i need to select a feature on the map and when i click on generate report it needs to open or download as pdf with map and attribute information.

please suggest on this.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

LucasMNDNR — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 19:58:39 GMT

@TanuHoque,

Any chance related tables have been incorporated yet?

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

MelanieWadsworth — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 02:08:06 GMT

I'm also interested in an answer about related tables. My widget is similar to the example, but I the fields from a related table do not display.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:39:20 GMT

@LucasMNDNR, @MelanieWadsworth

Sorry for the delayed response.

The answer is basically yes and no at this point. The example that shared above is not hardcoded meaning you can create a rptx file in Pro and use that with any 'web feature layer' as long as field names match.

If you want to see related records in your print service output, you need to go with complete hardcoded option. Here is what you can do:

open Pro
add your feature layer (off map or feature service)
- (may be) the related table/layer too
create a report
- add related section
save it as a .rptx file
use that with your print service (follow the same instructions provided above)
on the python side, you (might) need to comment out code that set/update data reference for the report.

If you have any such service public, I can give it a try myself, and might give you updated py file etc.

Sorry it is not a solution you were hoping for. We are hoping to have a better solution in near future (fingers crossed).

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

MelanieWadsworth — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:36:47 GMT

It sounds like there might be an option for related records by editing the py? In that case, to be more specific, I followed this workflow: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-enterprise/mapping/print-reports-from-arcgis-enterprise-web-apps/

The only changes I made were: Edited the workflow/py to source my points layer, and added the related section (like you described above). This worked for producing a test report in Pro with main and related records. After creating the print service, in webappbuilder when I click on a point it will show the main report fields, but not the related section. My python skills are pretty rusty, so it would be great if you have any advice there.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 18:25:28 GMT

@MelanieWadsworth

It sounds like there might be an option for related records by editing the py?

Sorry if that is how it came across. I didn't mean to say that. Currently we don't have any option in py for this.

The blog post was written before the related records option was even introduced in ArcGIS Pro reports. The blog was targeting the simple use case i.e. generate reports from selected features (no related records business in there)

Edited the workflow/py to source my points layer, and added the related section (like you described above).

where does the source point to? to your local dataset or your service? If it is your service, then it should work. If it still doesn't work, please send me some data/steps to help reproduce. Is your service happened to a public one?

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

MattReeves_SpokaneValley — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 22:18:54 GMT

@TanuHoque: Is the described workaround on page 1 of this post still the prescribed method for Printing the resulting buffer map/report obtained within the Public Notification widget? i.e. Have we not figured out a way to 'leave resulting data on upon widget close, or create resulting data as a layer' yet?

That said: Has anyone tested the Query widget within Experience Builder to see if the printing of the resulting buffer map/report can be obtained any more fluidly?

I am willing to try this report modification / dual widget method in WebApp Builder if concensus is that that is still the best method, but the last response on this thread was 19 months ago, so I am humbly hoping we have come up with a better method for this process?

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 23:29:57 GMT

@MattReeves_SpokaneValley

Hi Matt,

yes, that is still the prescribed method for now. We are hoping to bring that capability in the core print service and subsequently updating all client apps to support them in upcoming few releases (hoping by next year).. .. fingers crossed.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

MattReeves_SpokaneValley — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 22:59:57 GMT

Hello @TanuHoque

I've been pounding on this method for a few days now with no success. I started with using a custom report and pagx file (adhering to all the rules you specified in the walk through) with no success, so I scaled back to just trying to implement your exact version (only changing the variable names within the python script to match my schema). I am just not getting a buffer checkbox in the Advanced Tab. Nor is the Abutters List Map and Report layout producing any prints (MAP_ONLY does). I am receiving the attached error message when I am publishing the GP service to our server.

Could this error be causing the buffer checkbox to not show up in the Advanced Tab of the Print Widget?

Is there a change that occurred in ArcGIS Pro that is now causing your custom script to not be interpreted properly?

I am running ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 and ArcGIS Pro 3.0.3.

Thank you for your help with this. This is the last step to rolling out our application for Planners to make their own Buffer notification maps.

Re: Create Custom Report for Public Notification Widget

TanuHoque — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:49:17 GMT

@MattReeves_SpokaneValley

so sorry, it looks like the notification didn't make it to my radar until now 😞

in case you are still having the issue, first thing is that if you author templates in Pro 3x (or you publish it from Pro 3x), you need to have Server upgraded to 11x.

I hope you have already found a solution.

So sorry for the delay