arcgis.gis.Item.get_data() returns None

[TraceStanford1]

I am adding a hosted feature layer by zipping a file geodatabase, adding it using gis.content.add, then publishing the layer. I am then retrieving the layer using gis.content.search, getting the item, and then trying to use item.get_data(try_json=True). It is returning None, which from the documentation I can see says that 'Zero byte files will return None'. I am unsure why there is no data returning. I can add the layer to a map, display it, etc...but cannot get the data to return for the layer. Has anyone else dealt with this issue?

layer_title = <title>

url = "https://www.arcgis.com"
username = <username>
password = <password>
gis = GIS(url, username, password)

layer_properties = {'type': 'File Geodatabase', 'title': <title>}

#add file gdb
layer = gis.content.add(item_properties=layer_properties, data=outfile) # outfile is the zipped file gdb

#publish item
layer_item = layer.publish()

#delete zipped folder
layer.delete()

layer_search = gis.content.search("title: {}".format(layer_title), item_type="Feature Layer")
item = layer_search[0]

item_data = item.get_data(try_json=True)
print(item_data)

[Pauline_Low_Pui_Ling]

Hi, 

I have been trying to do the same thing which is to get the feature layer into a json format but still unsuccessful.. Is there an update for this?

Code:

item = gis.content.get(hosted_feature_layer_id)
jsonItem = item.get_data(try_json=True)
print(jsonItem)

Output:

None

Thank you,

Pauline

[VickyWang]

Hi Trace Stanford‌, 

You can use the get_data() to get JSON format for the WebMaps and WebScenes items. But it has various results for other items. 

arcgis.gis module — arcgis 1.7.1 documentation 

The get_data returns an object based on the content type of the data. For non-JSON/text data, binary files are returned and the path to the downloaded file. For JSON/text files, a Python dictionary or a string. All others will be a byte array, that can be converted to string using data.decode(‘utf-8’). Zero byte files will return None.

You can check this post if you want to download the Feature Service item use extract_data tool.

Download Item Data 

There is an example page with different usage for get_data() on different item types. 
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