Where do Web app builder stores the solution file in enterprise server

[JayakumarPD]

Hi, When we create a web app builder using this tool, where does the solution file sits in ArcGIS enterprise server. 

Do it keeps any physical file or dynamically generated the solution file, when we click on download.  

[Brian_Wilson · Accepted solution]

I am not sure what you mean by a "solution file" exactly (the JSON file?) but when I create an app with the built in Web App Builder in Portal, it treats it as any other content. It's in the content/items folder which on my server is in C:/arcgis/arcgisportal/. The exact location depends on how you installed Portal.

You can see the name of the folder in the "id=" part of the URL for example mine is 

https://MYPORTAL/portal/home/item.html?id=9e6ea885f9844952a27179c9f5633492 

so the URL for the content on MY server will be found in 

C:/arcgis/arcgisportal/content/items/9e6ea885f9844952a27179c9f5633492

When I look in that folder I see a file called "9e6ea885f9844952a27179c9f5633492" that is actually minified JSON. I found in the past that I could open those files and unminify them in Visual Studio Code, and that when I saved them it really did not matter if they were minified or not.  

I personally won't use the built in WAB because the Developer Edition is better.

I made the simplest possible app for this test, if you make a more complicated one Portal might store other files in that folder; I don't know.

[JayakumarPD]

Thank you. 

The solution file means, when we create web app builder using sdk, we use to get one folder in 

D:\2.0\WebAppBuilder\arcgis-web-appbuilder-2.23\ArcGISWebAppBuilder\server\apps\11 the web app builder path, which contain all the files(html, css, js) w.r.t to that application.

Like this I thought, when we create web app builder using portal, it also keeps the file in some path.  My guess was wrong. 

As you have mentioned it has only some configuration files in arcgis/arcgisportal/content/item folder.  I was not finding this location also, now I got.

Why ESRI has the secrecy in giving the proper files ? I didn't understand. 

Any how thank you sir.  

[Brian_Wilson]

Okay, I get that, you were thinking there would be a similar set up for WAB as there is for WABDE (the SDK).  For example a folder with all the widgets in it that go with the app.

No-- and when you upgrade that means it's possible your old WAB projects won't work, because they will have replaced 99% of the old files with new ones. That's why you should continue using the SDK. 

I put the files generated by the SDK into a git repository so that I can track changes. 

Also, the apps can be on a different server, so it takes load off of the Portal server.

The problem I have is that they keep some things locked up in a secret undocumented PostgreSQL database.  One of these days I will have to poke around in there to see what it does.

Esri business model is for you to rely on customer support so that you have to have an annual contract. If everything was documented you would not need them after purchase. I prefer reading docs personally but since I realized there will always be holes in the docs I am quicker to file support tickets.

To be fair the docs they do provide are very high quality, they just don't cover everything.