Add DifferenceCursor class to ArcPy

[CoffeeforClosers]

The Pro SDK for .NET provides a DifferenceCursor Class. ArcPy would benefit by having this functionality and class added as well.

Adding this class to ArcPy would allow for developers to analyze more effectively the differences between versions, either in a traditional or Branch version context.

Seemingly, difference cursor operations are already executed when one examines the Version Differences UI tool inside Pro's Versioning ribbon.

Sample Workflow:

Developer or analyst wants to return a record set showing the delta inserts, updates, and deletes during a given week of versioned editing for a workspace. Rather than use the Pro UI, the DifferenceCursor class would allow the developer to return a results set and then pass that results set into the output format of their choice (dashboard, flat file as e-mail attachments, etc.)

[BlakeTerhune]

I like the idea of a cursor to easily identify deletes. We've had a request from users to track deletes and currently it's not very easy. Identifying deletes after the fact with archiving is possible, but tedious; and it doesn't include editor tracking info for deletes.

[RPGIS]

We ran into the same issue so one of the ways we looking into using is the option for editors to update a field with 'Remove' or 'Delete' as a coded domain value and then have a script document the deletion before it is deleted.

You could also use Arcade to do something similar and have the record updated by the editor and before it is deleted in the feature/table.

At least till something better comes around.