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?  

[RussRoberts]

For editing attributes only, you will have to set this on your hosted feature layer: 

• Choose Update attributes only if you want editors to enter attribute information without changing any feature geometry.Manage hosted feature layers—ArcGIS Online Help | ArcGIS 

Note this is a control on the whole feature layer so all layers and tables will have the same editing property. If you want to hide editing on the parent feature I would disable editing on that layer in the Map Viewer and save the web map.

[TimConfare]

Thank you for your reply!  I forgot to mention we don't use hosted feature layers.  Our feature and map services point to our SDE.  We typically refrain from hosted layers so that we don't use up our credits.  However, if this is the only way to force attribute editing only we could definitely upload this dataset.

[Jianxia]

A good summary of editing capability at Online platform. The Smart Editor widget will support related table editing in the coming April release, with better UI/UX. Batch Attribute Editor is under our consideration to edit related records, no timeline yet.  As for the Edit widget, the delete button should be disable when geometry update is set to false. We will take a close look. Thanks for your feedback.

[ÖmerÜNSAL]

Hi Jianxia,

We would like to edit m-n related table in wab. What is status for developments?

[Jianxia]

The Edit widget supports editing m-n related tables.

[BrettSanders]

I am at 10.7.1 and editing is still a mess.  It is a royal pain if you have ever tried to use it.  I am trying to get an app up and running that allows edits of sign poles and the related signs (table in 1:n relationship class).  Absolutely frustrating.  From the editing widget, you can't get to the related features.  If I have a pole open in the editor popup, I scroll down to the related signs and click on the link, a popup comes up that hangs and never lists the street signs:

 If I start with the popup, I can click on the arrow to the right of the related signs, I can get a list of the related records that I can edit one at a time if I know which is which by default (there is a list of related records, but you can't pre-configure what that list looks like...just has 3 lines that say Street Signs.

 You can change the attribute shown after the list comes up to an attribute that distinguishes it from the others, such as the UniqueID. If you click on the arrow to the right, ithe editor for that record pops up.  After that, you can't get back into it unless you get out of the editor and start again with the pop-up.  No moving to another related record.  It is basically a hot mess.  I thought the smart editor widget was going to be the ticket going forward, but nothing has changed and again, no easy way to use it for related records/Features unless you start with the pop-up, find the right related record and use the smart editor to edit that record only.  Also have not found any way to relate another existing record to the feature or to add a new related record.  Rinse repeat..........

[Jianxia]

Brett, thanks for letting us know. We will look into the workflow you described.  

cc to Lemao Wu‌

[Jianxia]

Brett, for the first issue of opening a pole in the editor popup, is it possible to share the service so we can take a close look as to why it hangs? We could not reproduce it in 10.7.1 with the testing data. Thanks.

[BrettSanders]

Sorry I have not returned your message, but I have ben busy this week with ESRI UC added to my regular work…If you don’t mind, Friday or very early next week may be a better time.

Thank you,

Cary (Brett) Sanders