ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript 4.28
Version 4.28 brings that big release energy to October. There are bug fixes, enhancements, and new functionality. But buckle-up, because it’s a lot.
By the numbers: we fixed 46 bugs, made 26 enhancements, and added or updated 3 samples.
4.28 is Good, Web Component Library
Having a web component library is like adding an app builder inside of a custom application. Pretty cool, right? While the technical details are a bit over my head, the gist is that we are adding three component libraries (released in beta) that are super cool and will make writing apps easier.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#maps-sdk-components-beta
Honey, Dates, and Thyme
This red-herring, homograph, and homophone (respectively) is not only a great header, but is also the next item of the release to discuss. Announcing new date field types (to offer more accurate info), and time zone support for widgets, layers, and 2D MapViews. Thought you were out of thyme? Well, you might be. But if you were worried about properly handling time? 4.28 says, worry knot naught.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#improved-experience-for-date-and-time
Nadir vs Non-Nadir Imagery in a Post-Modern World
Nadir imagery is like when an image is taken of a feature from directly above that feature. Or maybe like at the closest point of the camera’s view to that feature while parallel to the ground? Think of snapping a photo of a football team’s formation from directly overheard.
Non-nadir imagery (e.g. oriented imagery) is more difficult to work with because the raster pixel values can get stretched based on the angle of orientation. Think of snapping a photo of a football team’s formation from an end-zone pylon (the little orange posts on the field, not the field goal posts, although that would work in this scenario too). More difficult to gauge positions and relative distances, right?
To this end, we added some enhancements when working with oriented imagery.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#oriented-imagery
New Basemaps are Styling
Harry Styles is an English singer. Julia Stiles is an American actress. Contrastingly, the new 4.28 basemap styles includes support for localized place labels. The most appropriate style for you depends on your requirements and environment.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#new-basemap-styles
Placement Matters
We enhanced label placement for polygon features of non-MapImageLayer layers in 2D MapViews. Polygon labels are now better placed inside their features. This is really, really good for irregular shaped features, like an hourglass.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#enhanced-polygon-label-placement
What’s the Theme?
A theme is an idea, concept, color scheme, or lesson that conveys a message. The new Theme class is used by the View to define the base colors used by widgets and components to render temporary graphics and labels. Widgets and components may create derived colors with varying opacity and contrast, and each widget and tool will display the theme colors in different ways. The theme can be defined to complement an application's design or to contrast a map's content. For example, defining a light textColor would display best against a dark background. Typically, theme colors are reactive and can be updated on-the-fly.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#color-theming-for-interactive-tools
So Animated
The MediaLayer now supports animated GIF and APNG images. This feature is so cool, it doesn’t need a second sentence.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#medialayer-animated-gifpng-support
Watch Your Savings
Saving had never been easier now that you can save StreamLayer, SubtypeGroupLayer, ImageryLayer, ImageryTileLayer, and GroupLayer to a portal item in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise with some aptly named methods.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#saving-layers-as-a-portal-item
Gnu Color Ramps
These new color ramps are great options for visualizing data along a continuous color ramp. Especially useful for people with color vision deficiencies.
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#new-color-ramps
Utilizing Network Upgrades
Believe it or not, the Editor widget now recognizes and respects utility networks. But that’s not the end of the story. The rules setup in the utility network are also passed to the Editor’s widget snapping rules! And (and?!) the widget associated with utility network has a new setting that allows you to configure line symbology for some associations!
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/release-notes/#utility-network-updates
Would You Like to Learn More?
Yeah, there is a lot more. In the office the other day, one of my colleagues was going on and on about how cool the new feature-to-feature relationship editing is. And my kids keep asking me about how the background color displays while the terrain is still loading in 3D SceneViews. Then to top it all off, my mom texted me this morning in disbelief over those 100+ raster function utility methods. Sigh. So much new stuff to write about. Well, if you’d like to learn more, then head on over to the official release notes. But before you go, check out this 4.28 inspired parody song.
4.28 is Good (Blue)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the below song parody are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Esri, or any of its affiliates. Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or recounting of this song, without the express written consent of Esri, is prohibited.
4.28 is good, Web Component Library
Improvements for dates and times are primary
And whenever networks update, it’s good for utilities
Don’t you know 4.28 is good? Web Component Library
`Cause 4.28 is good, Web Component Library
Improvements for color ramps are primary
And whenever networks update, it’s good for utilities
Don’t you know 4.28 is good? Web Component Library
Don’t you know 4.28 is good? Web Component Library
You know I’m down for oriented imagery
The new basemap styles are perfect for me
Animated MediaLayer will agree
To saving new layers with their portal IDs
Big integer support, that’s where I’ll be
4.28’s got a lot, and that’s enough for me
`Cause 4.28 is good, Web Component Library
Improvements for outline styles are primary
And whenever networks update, it’s good for utilities
Don’t you know 4.28 is good? Web Component Library
4.28 is good, good
4.28 is good
Don’t you know 4.28 is good? Web Component Library
So I just update, update
Oh-Maps-SDK-For-JavaScript
No, I don’t use 4.27 no more, don’t use 4.27 no more
Oh-Maps-SDK-For-JavaScript
So update your version up, version up
No, nothing’s gonna stop this update
`Cause 4.28 is good, Web Component Library
Improvements for printing are primary
And whenever networks update, it’s good for utilities
Don’t you know 4.28 is good? Web Component Library
Credits
Release Blog
4.28 Release Notes
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/guide/release-notes/index.html
4.28 Samples
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/sample-code/?tagged=4.28
Breaking Changes across all 4x releases
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/guide/breaking-changes/index.html
Parody Song inspiration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5dEp-nN6qQ
Song inspiration
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Good_(Blue)
Fair use and Parody law