Issues with editing related tables in a web map and with widgets in WAB

[TimConfare]

Thought I would start a discussion on editing related tables.  I am finding this process frustrating as it doesn't appear to be very flexible.  I simply want to edit attributes in a related table and not allow any geometry changes.  For example, a user selects a parcel and adds/edits a zoning category and rezone number from a related table.  I have a parcel layer that has a relationship class with a zoning table (1-M).  That part works fine.  Editing it in a simple manner is pretty tricky.  Here is what I have tried:

• Editing it in the web map -  As far as I know you cannot enable editing only on attributes.  The option to add a feature appears to be available which I definitely do not want.  When I click on a parcel and select Edit in the popup, related fields do not appear....only the parcel number of the layer, even though I have the edit boxes checked in the Configure Attributes window for the related fields that I want to edit.  If I disable editing for the layer, it disables editing on the table automatically.  
• Crowdsource Manager template - It appears this template is set up to edit attributes related to point features that was added by a Crowdsource reporter application.  I need to edit attributes related to existing polygon features.
• Batch Attribute widget - This would be the ideal widget to use as our users may want to edit the same attribute for multiple records (change all zoning categories to RH-2 for a subdivision for example).  This widget does not work with related tables.  You can select by a related attribute but can't edit it.
• Smart Editor widget - Unfortunately, this widget does not work with related tables
• Edit Widget - This appears to be the only way to edit related attributes but the process is excruciating.  First, you click on the New Selection icon to select polygon(s).  Once selected, you have to click on it again or select the Attributes button to bring up the pop-up.  The Related table appears at the bottom of the pop-up with an edit icon.  Clicking on that takes me another page that just shows the Related records again.  You have to click on that to finally brings up the attributes to edit.  I'm not sure if clicking three times just to get to the attributes is really going to work with users, especially if you can only do this one feature at a time.  Plus, there is a delete button on the bottom that will delete the feature.....I don't seem to be able to disable that...even if I disabled the "Allow geometry updates" when publishing the service.  

Am I missing anything?  

[Amanda__Huber]

YES, thank you Tim Confare‌ for starting this thread. This is a constant pain point in our organization as well. Outside of the recent release of the WAB Smart Editor Widget, there is no solution for simply editing related records in the ArcGIS Online platform. This is a problem. As more organizations turn to data collection/editing data with 1:M relationships there needs to be a solution for collecting information in related records tables. Please continue to advocate for the support of related table editing in ArcGIS Online

[BrittanyBurson]

Agreed, a year later, still hoping for a better way

[BrettSanders]

Of Course "Smart editor" doesn't even deal with related records at all and I can't find a way to move/switch/reattach one related record or feature from one parent to another!

[AlixVezina]

Hello!

If you need to make edits to your related table in Web AppBuilder, you can use the Smart Editor widget and configure the related table in the widget configuration.

First, make sure you've added the feature layer to a web map (the related table should be added along with it) - do not remove the table from the web map. Create a Web AppBuilder app. Then:

1. In the Smart Editor widget configuration, click the table icon under Actions against the editable hosted feature layer row:

2. Make sure the related table-s are editable:

3. Create a new feature or edit an existing feature, and click the small Add icon in the "Related Table/Layer" section to create a new related record in your table.

If a related record already exists in the related table for this feature, you will see it there. Click it to edit it.

I hope this helps with what you are trying to do!

[BrittanyBurson]

Thanks Alix for your participation across these discussions here.

Based on comments you've left on some of these ideas, I know you are aware of requests like this -- that this would be great if you could perform this edit action on multiple features at the same time.

For others who are finding this post:

For example, we have a street medians dataset where we are doing similar to what your example manhole maintenance process looks like... selecting a feature, and marking it as "inspected." However in our case, and I think in the case of many types of assets such as hydrants, usually this action applies to several features at once, such as with median segments. I want to select a handful of features and add a maintenance log to a related table, for all the selected features, at the same time. Right now this has to be done one by one for each segment, and because this would take way too long, we have instead added fields on the main layer to break logs out by year... which allows for editing multiple features at once.

With selecting multiple features and adding a related record for all, when I was researching this I don't think this can still even be done in Pro (possibly with a Production Mapping extension, but I'm not entirely sure). There is an idea Add Multiple Related Records and Add Related/Maintenance Record to All Selected Features that those reading can vote up to help address this gap.

Thanks Alix!

[NilsBabel1]

ThanksAlix Vezina‌ for the instructions.  I have my WAB app setup this way.  I also have the regular edit widget setup.  I can edit related records.  It is a bit frustrating as others have mentioned, but I don't seem to get the hanging windows others have mentioned.  However, I've noticed a different bug.  If click the add button to add a new related record, from the edit widget or smart edit widget it will open the new window and I can add attributes.  I then save the record and go back to the origin feature.  However, the new related record is not listed.  If I close the widgets and simply identify the feature the related record doesn't show up in the popup.  If I open the attribute table I don't see the new record.  It's only when I refresh the app that I see the new record.  Once I refresh the app I see the new related record in the popup, widgets, and everywhere else.  I'm using a regular ArcGIS Org, not portal, and the latest version of Chrome.  Also, are many to many relationships supported?  I read in this post that they are not:  Edit and Query Related Records in an AGO webmap, Web AppBuilder, and other web app templates 

In addition I would love the option to add a selected record as a related record, not just a new record.  

Thanks very much!

arcgis web application builder‌ #webapp builder edit

[AlixVezina]

Hi Nils,

I've taken a look into the issue you've described and I am not able to reproduce it on my end. We need to take a look at your particular data and configuration to figure out what is going on. Please contact Esri Support if you need this to be analyzed in a timely manner. Thank you for reaching out!

[NilsBabel1]

Thanks Alix, I'll contact support.