Two current Filter widget settings reduce utility of the widget

[SarahFrost]

There are 2 ways the Filter widget lacks customization and its default behavior makes it harder for users to get the info they want.

1) Despite setting my filter to display "All unique values of this field" within the SQL expression builder within the value dropdown, the values available for selection sync with those present in the current map extent. Please allow the full list to be available regardless of map extent, so users aren't misguided on what values are present in the data to select from.

I do not see where I can toggle this syncing on or off. Please allow this to be on/off.

2) Despite setting my filter to display "All unique values of this field" within the SQL expression builder within the value dropdown, an A-Z list of author names in my data gets cut off around the "D" authors. This is when the map's extent encompasses all features in my data. While users can search for authors from E onward, it seems the display for a filter's choices caps out independent of the data--again, misleading users to think there are fewer data than there are. 

I do not see where I can set a max count of returned options for a filter dropdown. Please allow this to be set by us. 

Note: This behavior is occurring without the Filter widget receiving any actions from other widgets. 

[NicoleJohnson]

@SarahFrost,

1. Do you have a table widget connected to the default data view of your data? Does this table widget have the "filter by map extent" setting on? If so, it's going to filter that data view and necessarily limit the options you're seeing in a filter widget. This is without you doing anything directly to set this action up--they're just both acting on the same data. If you do have a table set up like this and want to keep it, I recommend adding a separate instance* of the data to use in the filter, and set the filter up as a group filter to filter both the new filter-based data view and the map-based data view. When you set up the group filter and are choosing your data sources, choose the filter-based data view first (which will have more unique values), then select your map-based data view. Basically, you want the longest list (of values) first. Once you set up the sql expression, it'll show you which data view is the "main" one--confirm that it's NOT the shorter list.
2. Go into the data sources tab, select your data, and then click the gear icon. Try adjusting the page size (default is 100) and see if that remedies your issue. (I thought this was no longer a problem in ArcGIS Online (would still be in Enterprise depending on what version you're using), but maybe I'm mistaken).

*"Separate instance" in this case means adding the web map to your data sources again.

[SarahFrost]

@NicoleJohnson This is great info to consider, thank you for these questions.

1) Yes, I do have a table widget and yes, it is set to filter by map extent by default. I maintain my request to Esri that this is simply a parameter within the Filter widget. While I appreciate your suggestion, the workaround does not seem to work in my circumstance for 2 reasons: (I) Even when set to a data view unconnected to any other widget (table or map), and where the unconnected data view is the "main" data being filtered within a group filter, the options still sync with map extent. I have followed the suggested setup as close as I can tell. (II) Even if this did succeed in maintaining all field values, a group filter does not allow for a clause set. I would need to set up 10's of group filters, leading to a cluttered-looking filter interface for users compared to a sleeker clause set. 

What is perhaps most frustrating is that filters within WAB maintained full value lists independent of tables set to filter by map extent. 

2) Yes, increasing the default page size from 100 rectified my issue; I now see all 575 unique author values. 

[NicoleJohnson]

@SarahFrost, sorry, I've updated my post to be clearer on issue #1. I've also run into the issue where if you create a data view for data in a map and then filter the default data view (which is in the map and which in your case the table widget is filtering), the separate view isn't "respected." I get around this by adding a separate instance entirely of the data. I usually do the whole web map to keep any pertinent field settings, then turn off whatever layers I don't need. 

For issue #2, yeah, you definitely can't do everything with group filters that you can do with non-group filters. Without knowing more about what you're trying to do, I can't offer anything there. Good luck!

[SarahFrost]

@NicoleJohnson Thanks for the update! ...Fingers crossed Esri will see that the workaround doubles the instances of data one must manage and will update the Filter widget to streamline things for EB authors and users alike.