Newbie: Questions about using ArcGIS API for Javascript and creating custom web app

[NickMason]

Hey guys,

I'm new to ArcGIS,com and ArcGIS online web maps. I can easily make a web map using the Portal for ArcGIS, but I want more design control and have done quite a bit of reading....but still confused. Some quick questions:

1.) The web map that is created on the Portal for ArcGIS contains a legend that gets in the way with my custom template design. Can I somehow "turn off" that legend and build my own? Would downloading the application boilerplate (Esri/application-boilerplate-js · GitHub) allow me to do what I want?

2.) I'd like to add a custom header to my templates (e.g. add agency logo to header). Would the boilerplate allow me to do this?

I am knowledgeable in HTML, CSS, and Javascript. I am working in a corporate environment with no access to the public internet.

Is the boilerplate even needed? Is there a better way to create custom web maps?

Thanks for any clarification.

[KellyHutchins]

There are a few options for customizing the templates available through ArcGIS Online.  The simplest option would be to use one of the out of the box templates to create an application based on your web map. Many of these templates can be customized using the configuration settings to do things like change the theme color, title, turn tools on and off etc.

If one of the out of the box templates contains most of the behavior you want and you just want to make a few modifications that aren't available via the configuration process you can download each of the templates from the github repo. See the Download App  help topic for details.

The application boilerplate is a simple full page map that handles all of the logic required to make a web application a template. This is a great starting point if you want to build a custom template  and add your own tools and logic.