Field Maps is requiring a field for no reason

[VGalindo]

I have a table that can be edited with field maps, but for some reason there's a field that is required on the mobile app even though I do not have required checked on field maps and null values are allowed. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make it not required. I attached a screen shot to show that it should not be a required field and they should be able to change other fields in the table or delete the value in this field without adding anything. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[JenniferAcunto]

Go to the Data tab of the Item Details for your layer. Check that field and see if null values are allowed. If it is set to No then Field Maps will make it required because the record cannot be submitted without a value for that field. 

[VGalindo]

Thank you for your reply. I did look at this before, and yes null values are allowed and it looks just like your screen shot. I can also leave the field blank just fine in map viewer, but not in field maps.

Edit: it's also not showing as required in the field maps designer so I'm just completely at a loss here

[MitchellGrafstein]

Any chance this is a type field?  Are you symbolizing off of this field?  Or were you symbolizing off of this field at any point?  

[VGalindo]

Yes, it has styles based on what crop is selected. I have a test map I created before this one that also has the domain values and styles and works fine--do you think if I delete the styles and recreate them it might help? I'll try it

[VGalindo]

I tried just deleting crop from symbology in the web map with map viewer, and that didn't work. I opened the layer itself in map viewer, and the symbology I originally created was all still there. I removed the crop value in symbology here too, but it's still requiring that field in field maps. It seems to have had no effect at all besides getting rid of the color styles.

I'm just wondering if changing it via map viewer (which I only did because it wasn't working right when I changed the web map in the first place) caused this? If that's the case deleting the original symbology on the web layer itself still didn't fix it

[MitchellGrafstein]

Are you using any views at all?  Or just the source layer?  Did you delete the layer and add it back into the map?  I believe once there is a type field on a source layer (non-view), it can sometimes be tricky to remove it as a required field.  Also, if you are using views, the source layer types I believe are always required even if they are not required for the view.

The types are in the layer itself, not just the layer in the map, so that is where those changes would need to be made (and you may not wish to do so.) 

Just as an FYI - Be careful when switching between opening a map in Map Viewer and using the Field Maps web app (Designer, I believe it is called now in AGOL), as it caches the information when you first load it - so you would have to reload your page to capture changes from one or the other.  Found this out the hard way after making form changes in one and then making map change in the other, then seeing all my form changes disappear.

I hope this helps.  (Also, my apologies if I am ever slow to respond, I check these forums about twice a day at most.  I will definitely get back to this eventually though.)

[VGalindo]

I think I'm starting to see what went wrong. I was making changes by opening the web map in map viewer, not realizing that didn't also make changes to the underlying web layer, so now they're completely different. People need to be able to work with it in map viewer, but I guess I shouldn't have created the symbology when originally making the map in ArcGIS pro and added it later with the web viewer?

I am just not sure how to fix this. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just going to need to recreate the whole thing. 

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it

[MitchellGrafstein · Accepted solution]

Happy to help, and you are most welcome...

I believe this is how it works... When you create symbology in ArcGIS Pro, any field you symbolize off of becomes a Type field, and these Types that are created will also have associated Templates.

Without getting too into the weeds with this, just know that if you hosted a service from ArcGIS Pro, every field you symbolized off of will become a Type field and be required.  At least, that is how I believe it works, and making changes in layers and even creating views with different symbology will still potentially be inhibited by this initial choice.

You can alter the Feature Templates from Field Maps Designer.  You can also alter the Types by opening up a feature service and clicking on the "Visualization" tab, then adjusting which field you are symbolizing off of.  It will give you a warning when you make this change that it will affect the type of features you can create. (See screenshot below.)

Just know that any field you symbolize off of in the layer itself will always be required - but you can also have the required field default to Null if that helps your situation.

I hope this did not further confuse the issue and added a little bit of light to the subject.

[VGalindo]

That helps a lot. It doesn't look like I can change the default for the field any more, though. I guess I'll have to redo my layers and map and chalk this up to a learning experience. Thanks for everything.