Add batch edit widget to experience builder

[MollyJackson]

Experience Builder has so much potential, but we can't implement it until a batch editor capability is added. It is so convenient to be able to select multiple features and edit their attributes simultaneously rather than selecting one-by-one.

[AlixVezina]

Hi all,

For attribute only editing, you still have the ability to customize the editing capabilities for each layer in the map.

Make sure you only allow for Update records > Attribute in the layer's capabilities. Example below:

 

In Web AppBuilder, the Batch Attribute Editing widget only supported being connected to editable feature layers from your map and did not support editing records from standalone layers and table layers. 

Once implemented, support for batch editing in the "Attribute only" mode is an enhancement in Experience Builder that will allow you to also batch edit from feature layers and also table layer that are added to your app but not necessarily also in your map.

[Amanda__Huber]

@AlixVezina  thanks for the response. Can you clarify what you mean by this:
"Allow you to also batch edit from feature layers and also table layer that are added to your app but not necessarily also in your map."

Will table layers and feature layers in maps not have batch attribute editing?


Also cross-referencing your response in the new idea listed above. 

[AlixVezina]

@Amanda__Huber ,

"Allow you to also batch edit from feature layers and also table layer that are added to your app but not necessarily also in your map."

When configuring the Edit widget, you will find two modes are available:

• Interact with a Map widget - the Edit widget will only read the feature layers from the maps in a Map widget for editing. This is similar to what was available in the Batch Attribute Editor widget in Web AppBuilder, where a map was always required in your app for the widgets to work. This newly introduced batch editing option in the Edit widget allows editing the feature's attributes and also their geometries. This was the main workflow the Experience Builder team was focused on supporting for batch editing in this initial release of the functionality.

• Attribute only - you can connect the Edit widget to any editable layers in your app, may they be in a map or not. This option only allows you to edit the attributes for features (in a feature layer) and records (in a table layer) - it does not allow you to edit geometries in the map. Technically, with this option, you could build an app with only a Table and the Edit widget and no map at all (example below). This is a new type of workflow that we did not previously support in Web AppBuilder. The team will add support for batch editing in this case too, in a future release, so you'll get the new ability to also batch edit records from a table layer.

I hope this all makes sense! 😊

[Amanda__Huber]

@AlixVezina thank you so much for the clarification! Yes that makes sense. We look forward to this update. 

[LindsayRaabe_FPCWA]

@StuartMoore  found this issue with the new Batch Attribute Editing functionality and saving values returned in calculated fields - posting for cross reference. Nearly there but not quite!

New Batch Editor functionality doesn't work for ca... - Esri Community

[ConorFlynn]

@AlixVezina  - I think the issue is that Interact with a Map mode only allows turning on/off Capabilities for each layer (Add/Delete/update), whereas Attribute only mode allows turning on/off Capabilities AND it allows Configure fields (to show/editable).   

Could Esri add "Configure fields" options to the Interact with a Map mode?

[AlixVezina]

Hi @ConorFlynn,

I think providing field customizations for Batch editing at the widget level is under consideration. The recommended approach for customizing your editing experience remains to configure editing Forms for your editable layers. See: Configure forms for attribute editing (Map Viewer)—ArcGIS Online Help | Documentation

Since it is possible to create different Forms for a same layer in different maps, I suggest creating a map tailored to your Batch editing workflows and customizing a Form for batch editing.

Just a quick example to illustrate what I mean:

[ConorFlynn]

@AlixVezina - Thank you!  I hadn't realized that editing forms would come through in Experience.  That does seem like it could work for us. 

Instead of multiple maps/apps, I think we could also add multiple view layers on the same map to allow configuring different forms.

Thank you for hanging in there to understand our need and explaining this workflow.

[AlixVezina]

@ConorFlynn 

Instead of multiple maps/apps, I think we could also add multiple view layers on the same map to allow configuring different forms.

Yes, I think that could work too!! Let us know how you go! 😊

[ConorFlynn]

@AlixVezina - Thank you, we will let you know how it goes!

[edited - we figured out how to turn off geometry editing, the ExB Edit widget editing settings are based on User Type...]