topic Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS in Web AppBuilder Custom Widgets Questions

Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

NickCameron2 — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 06:03:07 GMT

Hi All,

I know this has been asked before but I can't find a solution that seems to work for me.

I've built a custom widget in WAB dev. No problems using it within WAB dev, now am trying to deploy it to Portal for ArcGIS so non-dev's can use it when creating apps from within Portal as well.

What I've tried:

- Copy the widget files from <wabdev_folder>\stemapp\widgets\<widgetname>\ to the Portal server webappbuilder directory (C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Portal\apps\webappbuilder\stemapp\widgets\<widgetname>)

- Updated config.json in Portal stemapp directory to include the new widget.

- Updated widget-manifest.json to include the new widget in Portal stemapp/widgets directory (not sure if this is needed).

- Followed the instructions in this thread - Deploying a Custom Web App Widget – Portal for ArcGIS - and copied the stemapp folder from WAB dev to Portal WAB stemapp directory so that they're both v1.1.

- Restarted Portal service just to make sure (not sure if this is needed).

Does anyone know if this is possible to do yet or am I missing something obvious?

Thanks,

Nick

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DerekLaw — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 03:54:42 GMT

Hi Nick,

Enabling custom widgets within the embedded version of Web AppBuilder in Portal for ArcGIS is NOT a supported workflow.

From the Web AppBuilder help documentation: About Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS

The 3rd paragraph under key features states: “A developer edition is also available that allows you to extend the framework to create custom widgets and themes. Visit ArcGIS for Developers to download Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS (Developer Edition) and learn more about creating your own custom apps.”

While it is technically possible to enable custom widgets within the embedded version of Web AppBuilder in a Portal for ArcGIS instance, this may void the software license technical support contract because you would be altering the internal software files of Portal for ArcGIS.

Only the Developer Edition of Web AppBuilder supports custom widgets.

Hope this helps,

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

VHolubec — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 16:45:57 GMT

Hi Dereck,

so if I understand right, Portal cannot be customized (with my themes and widgets), and only apps I will create in developer WebApp builder can be customized with my own widgets. Am I right?

If I create my own app with my own widgets and theme, I can only register it on Portal, or I can create a template, so other user (if I will share it with in public) can use this template to create their own apps on Portal or AGOL.

Will my own widgets available within the template in AGOL or Portal? If so, it looks the way how I can extend the Portal with my own widget.

Thank you for clarification.

Vladimir

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

NickCameron2 — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 20:53:57 GMT

Hi Derek,

Ok no worries, understood.

Are you aware of any plans to support this in the future?

Seems like a natural and powerful extensibility point for Portal at the least.

Thanks,

Nick

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

NicholasMcNamara — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 20:10:59 GMT

I would also like to know if this support will be added in the future. Not everyone wants to build something from scratch, but simple use widgets that others have created, and a method like that utilized in the Viewer for Flex would be a popular addition.

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DerekLaw — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 04:58:43 GMT

Hi Vladimir,

Apologies for the late reply, I've been very busy the last few weeks with Esri 2015 Dev Summit stuff.

> so if I understand right, Portal cannot be customized (with my themes and widgets), and only apps I will create in developer WebApp builder can be customized with my own widgets. Am I right?

Not quite. You are correct when you say the embedded version of Web AppBuilder (WAB) in Portal for ArcGIS cannot be customized. But apps created from it can be customized - when they are NOT hosted within Portal. So if you use WAB in Portal, you would simply download the code for the web app, host it in your own web server - then you could apply any customizations you want to the app. However, this would be outside the WAB "builder" user experience.

> If I create my own app with my own widgets and theme, I can only register it on Portal, or I can create a template, so other user (if I will share it with in public) can use this template to create their own apps on Portal or AGOL.

You can deploy a web app from WAB (with custom functionality) as a template in AGOL or Portal for ArcGIS - but these templates would need to be hosted on your own web server, following a similar pattern as deploying a custom JavaScript-based template. See this help topic: Add the template to ArcGIS Online

> Will my own widgets available within the template in AGOL or Portal?

Technically, the widgets would "live" inside the custom template that is hosted on your own web server - as part of the web app. The individual widgets would not be accessible in the embedded version of WAB. The template would be accessible to AGOL and Portal for ArcGIS end users, as a template option in the map viewer.

Hope this helps,

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DerekLaw — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 05:11:11 GMT

Hi Nick and Nicholas,

Apologies for the late reply, I've been very busy the last few weeks with Esri 2015 Dev Summit stuff.

> Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS ... Are you aware of any plans to support this in the future?

> I would also like to know if this support will be added in the future

At this time there are no plans to enable this functionality in Portal for ArcGIS.

Two reasons why (off the top of my head):

1. Custom widgets means custom code. It would be very challenging to check/ensure that adding the custom code into the Portal for ArcGIS internal software files does not cause any issues/problems with Portal.

2. Upgrading Portal for ArcGIS to future releases. When we apply the Portal for ArcGIS software to perform an in-place upgrade to the latest release (e.g., from 10.2.x to 10.3), we need to be able to update any potential internal software files for Portal. Having custom code from the custom widget(s) would introduce an unknown into the upgrade process - possibly causing issues.

Hope this helps,

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

VHolubec — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 07:03:18 GMT

Hi Dereck,

it is clear now for me, thank you so much for clarification!

Thank you!

Vladimir

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

OmolaraKareem1 — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:50:55 GMT

Dear Derek,

Are you aware of any plans to include the Perform Analysis tool in Portal for ArcGIS (like in ArcGIS Online) in the nearest future (like in the next few months )?

Lara

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DerekLaw — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 20:23:39 GMT

Hi Lara,

The analysis tools that are included in the ArcGIS Online map viewer are on the development road map of Portal for ArcGIS. They are tentatively planned to be part of the 10.4 release of Portal for ArcGIS.

Hope this helps,

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

OmolaraKareem1 — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 07:49:09 GMT

Thanks Derek. That's music to my ears.

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

OmolaraKareem1 — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:12:57 GMT

While I've got you Derek, I hope you can help me with something. This is obviously not the thread for this question, but I'm a desperate woman.

Posted this on GeoNet questions thread yesterday. Have had 33 views, no responses.

Portal for ArcGIS Legend Problem

I have a problem with my print legend in Portal for ArcGIS, please see insert. I know I am doing something wrong, maybe right from the service creation but don't know what that could be. Can anyone help me?

Lara

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

StanMcShinsky — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:20:21 GMT

Here is the link to Omolara's question

Portal for ArcGIS Legend Problem

Please respond to her issue on the other thread. Thanks.

-Stan

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DavidWilton — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 06:18:16 GMT

Neither of these approaches are supported and "may void the software license technical support contract because you would be altering the internal software files of Portal for ArcGIS”. However, if you really want to do it I have had success following the two approaches below (Portal10.3.1 and WAB 1.3):

1. Adding widgets to portal WAB

1. Add your widget's folder to C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Portal\apps\webappbuilder\stemapp\widgets

2. Edit the C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Portal\apps\webappbuilder\stemapp\widgets\list.json file and add the name of your widget

3. Add a JSON config object for your widget in stemapp\widgets\widgets-manifest-builder.json. Copy the structure from another widget in that same file.

2. Replace the Portal WAB with the Developer version

1. Replace the contents of C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Portal\apps\webappbuilder with client folder of the downloaded version of the developer web app builder e.g. arcgis-web-appbuilder-1.3\client

2. Add a widgets-manifest.json (copy from the Portal version and add your widgets). I’m not 100% sure why it requests this file when it doesn’t normally within the web app builder. More investigations needed

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

BenjaminCumberland — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:50:30 GMT

Hey David,

Did you ever investigate this more? I was able to upgrade my version on the server to the new 2.2 version, but lost the widgets-manifest.json when moving them over and now have no themes to choose from and no widgets showing up in the 'add widget panel'. I can probably reinstall portal and get it working, but I was curious if you found a solution to getting all the apps from new versions going without manually adding them?

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DerekLaw — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 22:19:02 GMT

FYI, with the release of ArcGIS Enterprise 10.5.1, Web AppBuilder embedded in Portal for ArcGIS now supports custom widgets. Please see this blog,

Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS now supports Custom Widgets in ArcGIS Enterprise 10.5.1 | ArcGIS Blog

Hope this helps,

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

AndrewVentham — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 11:47:35 GMT

Thanks Derek,

Could you tell me the recommended way to add a custom version of the coordinate widget (and other "core" widgets) to the portal app-builder?

I'd like to replace the standard portal coordinate widget with one that also states the current scale (ratio). The custom widget works fine if I add it to the header or the toolbar, but I want to use it to replace the original coordinate widget. Is this / will this be supported within the portal app-builder?

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

DerekLaw — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 17:19:43 GMT

Hi Andrew,

> Could you tell me the recommended way to add a custom version of the coordinate widget (and other "core" widgets) to the portal app-builder?

Replacing the core widgets in Web AppBuilder (embedded in Portal for ArcGIS) with updated versions is not a supported workflow. For the various reasons that I've stated earlier in this thread.

Your best option is to add the custom widgets to Portal, following the workflow in this blog post,

Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS now supports Custom Widgets in ArcGIS Enterprise 10.5.1 | ArcGIS Blog

You would not be replacing the core widgets, but offering alternative ones for the end user to select from in the widgets gallery.

Hope this helps,

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

AndrewVentham — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 17:34:15 GMT

Thanks for the speedy reply! It's useful to have that confirmed.

Perhaps I could poach the CSS styling of the standard co-ordinate widget to persuade the text from the custom co-ordinate widget to appear in the bottom left as usual.

But I think I'm still going to get unstuck with the custom widget in a toolbar - I can have it selected and visible initially, but as soon as another widget from the toolbar is selected, it will disappear.

So I suppose my next question is: what is your recommendation for how to create an "always on" custom widget? Is this supported within the "foldable" theme?

Re: Deploy Custom Widget to Portal for ArcGIS

NicolasGIS — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 09:51:16 GMT

Hello Derek,

Thanks for the update.

Just wondering if there is any plan to support custom theme as well and if yes if there is any time line for that functionality.

Thanks,

Nicolas