topic Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service in Python Questions

Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

ChandreyeeLahiri — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 17:47:39 GMT

Is it possible to have an email sent (to a list of recipients) whenever a point is added to a hosted File GDB on a public web-app?

The idea is to originate a permit application process from a web-map/app: applicants can add a point for the location they need a permit for, enter their information and apply for a permit (of particular kind). An email alerts officials that a permit has been applied for. The rest of the approval process flow from there and the hosted data is used to collect applicant information (including location for permit) as well as flag the status of the application as it makes its way through various stages of the approval process.

Any ideas on how to have edits trigger emails?

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

JakeSkinner — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 05:40:56 GMT

Hi Chandreyee,

If you are tracking edits within the hosted feature service, you could have Windows Task Scheduler check the service at a given time interval (i.e. once an hour) and check for any new features that were added within the last hour.

Below is an example on how to do this. The service is tracking edits, where new features are recorded in a field called 'created_date'. The script queries the service and checks this field and compares it to the current time (minus one hour). If the time is greater than the current time, it will send an e-mail of the OBJECTIDs of the new features.

import urllib2, json, urllib, datetime, time, smtplib
from datetime import timedelta

oidList = []

URL = 'http://services.arcgis.com/Fz6JUji5ArUSDM/arcgis/rest/services/Airports/FeatureServer/0/query'
params = {'f': 'pjson', 'where': "1=1", 'outfields' : 'OBJECTID, created_date', 'returnGeometry' : 'false'}
req = urllib2.Request(URL, urllib.urlencode(params))
response = urllib2.urlopen(req)
data = json.load(response)
for feat in data['features']:
    createDate = feat['attributes']['created_date']
    createDate = int(str(createDate)[0:-3])
    t = datetime.datetime.now() - timedelta(hours=1)
    t = time.mktime(t.timetuple())
    if createDate > t:
        oidList.append(feat['attributes']['OBJECTID'])

FROM = 'sender@hotmail.com'
TO = ['receiver@yahoo.com']
SUBJECT = 'New Feature Added'
TEXT = "Features with OBJECTIDs " + str(oidList) + " were added."

message = """\
From: %s
To: %s
Subject: %s

%s
""" % (FROM, ", ".join(TO), SUBJECT, TEXT)

smtpObj = smtplib.SMTP(host='smtp.hotmail.com', port=25)
smtpObj.sendmail(FROM, TO, message)
print "Successfully sent email"
smtpObj.quit()

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

AndySmith — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:52:53 GMT

You could also try using some of the Marketplace applications that have been developed to do this as well. For example, Esri UK have developed the QuestionWhere Builder that allows you to get the user to fill out a survey and add points to a map before submitting it as a new point to the feature service. This can also be used to send an email to an email alias or individual:

https://marketplace.arcgis.com/listing.html?id=ef411f82398b483a9ee2a421bb45bada

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

ChandreyeeLahiri — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:06:28 GMT

This is excellent Jake!

Only I would need to tweak it to check for changes in certain fields + changes since the last time it was checked....which might just be daily (so changes in the last 24 hours instead of 1).

Could you tell my the syntax for setting up those queries (or point me to resources)?

Also, I'm not sure where to run this code from. I'm a bit familiar with Python but this doesn't look like it. A few pointers please on how to run this?

Thanks much!

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

ChandreyeeLahiri — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:09:04 GMT

Thanks Andy.

This looks like a wonderful resource though the price tag is fairly steep. It gets to my goal of capturing information from the public using a map and using it in AGOL to follow a workflow.

Are there any ESRI free apps that come anywhere close to this?

Where do I go to browse the various free apps for downloads?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

AndySmith — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:29:08 GMT

Hi Chandreyee, I don't think there is anything free that is comparable to QuestionWhere Builder at the moment, if there was, then people wouldn't pay for QuestionWhere Builder! You can check yourself by searching the Marketplace: https://marketplace.arcgis.com/

Get a free trial and test it out would be my suggestion, and you can make a decision from there as to whether you would like to pay for QuestionWhere, or spend time developing something yourself.

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

ChandreyeeLahiri — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:33:36 GMT

Of course. 🙂

That app doesn't fully address our needs though (rather, it has bells and whistles we may not want to pay for) so I'd like to see what other closer solutions exist. Right now, I've only tried out the free ESRI apps that i get when I go to make an app from a web-map in AGOL...was wondering if there are others like that anywhere else.

I take it that's it for freeware?

Will definitely do the free trial as you suggest. The annual cost might still be more cost-efficient than contracting out for a solution (since we don't have much app development skills in-house).

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RyanNosek — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 20:47:15 GMT

Jake -

Thank you for posting this as an example! Not sure why your response was not marked as the "correct answer", but nonetheless the OP's question and your response helped me tremendously.

Just wanted to add that if someone were to implement your code as-is and set up a scheduled task to run every hour, the script would generate an email every hour regardless if there were new features added or not. Or maybe I've set something up wrong with the scheduled task? Regardless, to fix the problem I encountered - I simply added an if-else statement that checked to see if the list was empty, if so, do nothing, if not, send the email.

This is an extremely useful piece of code and saved me tons of dev time and head-banging, and have implemented it for a few of our data collection projects that use our locally hosted ArcGIS Server secured feature services (not esri hosted feature services). E.g. Very useful for services involved in our Crowdsource Reporter apps to generate emails to relevant Programs when new features are added. Thanks again for your post, Jake.

- Ryan

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RemiFoicik — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 15:43:33 GMT

Hi Jake,

I'm really interested by using this script for many of our features services but our datas aren't on Arcgis Online, They are on a 10.4 Portal.

I'm really new in python but i'm asking if this is possible to do the same on non-public feature service. And if this is possible, have you some tips please ? I don't really know when I have to place the token generated etc..

thx in advance,

Best Regards

Rémi

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

JakeSkinner — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:07:04 GMT

Hi Remi,

This should work with Portal for ArcGIS as well. You will just need to update the URL (line 6) to the feature service you are monitoring.

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RemiFoicik — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:29:25 GMT

First, Thanks you for your answer.

I'm actually trying with the service shared with everyone.
Unfortunately, I get this when I'm trying to run the script

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RyanNosek — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:32:18 GMT

Check your service/feature calss, do you have this field ("created_date") in your dataset? Usually this field is created when you enable editor tracking on your sde gdb.

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

JakeSkinner — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:33:12 GMT

Does your feature service have editor tracking enabled? If so, does the field 'created_date' exist?

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RemiFoicik — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:35:48 GMT

Unfortunately Yes 😕

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

JakeSkinner — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 05:40:58 GMT

I'm not sure what's happening with this service. When I try and query it, and include to return all the fields, only the 'OBJECTID' field is returned:

URL = 'http://sig.versaillesgrandparc.fr/arcgis/rest/services/Hosted/Nicolli_Rapports/FeatureServer/0/query'
params = {'f': 'json', 'where': "1=1", 'outfields' : '*'}
req = urllib2.Request(URL, urllib.urlencode(params))
response = urllib2.urlopen(req)
data = json.load(response)
for feat in data['features']:
    print feat['attributes']‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

I would test the above script on other services to see if other fields are returned other than just the 'objectid'.

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RemiFoicik — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 17:24:33 GMT

Yes, I saw that on Fiddler 😕

But I get the created_date attributes when I'm doing the query manually on the Sharing/Rest

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

RemiFoicik — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 19:39:57 GMT

Maybe could I have more chance working directly with Querys from sharing/rest like

http://sig.versaillesgrandparc.fr/arcgis/rest/services/Hosted/Rapports_Nicollin/FeatureServer/0/query?where=1%3D1&object…

Thanks for your time, I will try to understand how to make python working with that

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

EdwardHankins — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 15:03:25 GMT

What is the format for crafting a query with your script. Say I had a field named STATUS and a field named TYPE and I wanted to query records where: [TYPE] = 'POTHOLE' and [STATUS] = 'OPEN'

I have tried various combinations like below but have had no luck. Is there any chance anyone has done this before and could help. Thanks!!

params = {'f': 'pjson', 'where': "1=1 and 'REQUEST_TYPE' = 'PW (SM)-Potholes'", 'outfields' : 'OBJECTID, created_date, SUMMARY, ADDRESS1', 'returnGeometry' : 'false'}

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

Anonymous User — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 15:35:52 GMT

If you haven't figured this this out already the correct syntax should be:

params = {'f': 'pjson', 'where': "(REQUEST_TYPE)='PW (SM)-Potholes'", 'outfields' : '*', 'returnGeometry' : 'false'}

Hope that helps

Re: Generate/send email when a feature is added to a hosted service

EdwardHankins — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 18:41:00 GMT

Check! I actually figured it out by hitting the query web page and trying various combinations but thank you very much for your answer!