Delete a Feature Layer from a Feature Service in ArcGIS Online using the ArcGIS API for Python

[Clubdebambos]

The workflow:

• Access ArcGIS Online
• Create a FeatureLayer object representing the Feature Layer to delete. You can create the FeatureLayer object any way you wish.
  • the Item object layers property
  • a FeatureLayerCollection object layers property
  • instantiate FeatureLayer object using fromitem (used below) or a URL 
• Cast the JSON properties of the FeatureLayer object to a Python dictionary.
• Create a FeatureLayerCollection object representing the Feature Service that contains the Feature layer to delete from.
• Use the FeatureLayerCollectionManager delete_from_definition() to remove the FeatureLayer from the Feature Service.

WARNING! Deleting a Feature Layer within a Feature Service is Permanent (unless you made a backup). The deletion does not get sent to a recycle bin so proceed with caution and always backup before deletion.

## provides access to ArcGIS Online
from arcgis.gis import GIS

## creates a FeatureLayer object to create a FeatureSet from
from arcgis.features import FeatureLayer

## represents a Feature Service
from arcgis.features import FeatureLayerCollection

################################################################################
## API Reference Links:
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#gis
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#arcgis.gis.ContentManager.get
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.features.toc.html#featurelayer
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.features.toc.html#arcgis.features.FeatureLayer.fromitem
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.features.toc.html#featurelayercollection
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.features.managers.html#featurelayercollectionmanager
##  https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.features.managers.html#arcgis.features.managers.FeatureLayerCollectionManager.delete_from_definition
##
################################################################################

################################################################################
## ACCESS ARCGIS ONLINE ########################################################

agol = GIS("home")

################################################################################
## USER INPUTS #################################################################

## the item id for the feature service that contains the layer to delete
fs_item_id = "ITEM_ID"

## the index of the layer to delete (0 if only one layer or the first layer)
lyr_idx = 0

################################################################################
## GET FEATURE LAYER OBJECT ####################################################

## get the feature service item that contains the layer to delete
fs_item = agol.content.get(fs_item_id)

## get the layer of interest to delete
fl = FeatureLayer.fromitem(
    item = fs_item,
    layer_id = lyr_idx
)

## use list comprehension and the layer name to be precise
##fl = [lyr for lyr in fs_item.layers if lyr.properties.name == "FEATURE_LAYER_NAME"][0]

################################################################################
## DELETE FEATURE LAYER FROM FEATURE SERVICE ###################################

fl_properties = dict(fl.properties)

## create FLC object
flc = FeatureLayerCollection.fromitem(fs_item)

## update the JSON definition fof the feature service to delete the layer
flc.manager.delete_from_definition({"layers": [fl_properties]})

################################################################################
print("\nSCRIPT COMPLETE")