Is there a difference between a "Feature layer" and a "Feature layer (hosted)"? Not talking about old ArcServer.

[JaysonLindahl]

So today I opened a Feature layer (hosted) to it's item details page.  From there I clicked on the Visualization tab and selected the Save As option.  After doing that, I now have a new item, Feature layer.

As I understand, Feature layer (hosted), is a layer that was created from uploaded data.

Now I have just a Feature layer.  Is this a new layer, with it's own data, taking up the same amount of space?

Is this just the layer's properties, filters and such set on the layer?

What I'm essentially trying to figure out is how can a user take a layer of data that already exists, owned by someone else even, and create a new layer, based on the same data (like a view), with filter customizations?

[JonathanMcD]

@JaysonLindahl 

If I have this right, it's just like an lyr file you'd create in ArcMap or likes in ArcPro too. I don't think it is as storage intense as a HFS

[JaysonLindahl]

@JonathanMcD   I'd love to think that.  Like a style file that can be shared with other users.  I wonder if that is the case?  

[DebapriyaPaul]

Hi @JaysonLindahl , thanks for posting the question. 

Feature layer (hosted) items are created when we publish data to ArcGIS Online (documentation). The publishing process can be through various workflows such as publishing from ArcGIS Pro, publishing from ArcGIS Data Pipelines, uploading a file to ArcGIS Online (Map viewer or Content). You can refer to this documentation for more details.  

When we navigate to the Visualization tab of a hosted feature layer, and select the Save as option, it creates a new reference item of the source layer in your Content. We can configure layer properties like styles, pop-ups, labels, charts, filter, modify the display of fields and save as a new item in our content. Here are a few documentation links that you can refer to, 

Explore layers

Save and duplicate layers

Hope this helps, and happy to answer any follow-up questions! 

[EmilyGeo]

Hi @JaysonLindahl, 

You hit the nail on the head when you asked if it saved the Layer properties.

Its essentially a different way to view or display the layer, with properties configured differently than the original. Those properties could be things like styles, pop-ups, forms, etc. That way, if you bring this layer into a map, it is all set up with those properties. However, it points to the original source layer and is still the same data.