Web Appbuilder heading to extinction

[LefterisKoumis]

 ESRI UC  introduced a new product called Experience Builder ( ArcGIS Experience Builder | A new way of building web apps) which  eventually will replace Web App builder. The new product will be based on JS API 4.x, React JS and Typescript. So, no more DOJO and Web Appbuilder will never be upgraded to JS API 4.x

The presenter said there are no plans to replace Web Appbuilder YET. We have seen it before when ESRI announced Web Appbuilder with no plans to discontinue support for FLEX. A year later they did.

[MichaelVolz]

Kory Kramer,

Can you validate that what the original poster is saying is true?  This would have some major implications for my org's plans using GIS moving forward.

[DerekLaw]

Hi Michael,

Please see FAQ from the pre-UC 2019 Q&A,

Is ArcGIS Experience Builder going to replace Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS?

Hope this helps,

[LefterisKoumis]

Hello Derek.

Please correct me, if I was misinformed by one the ESRI UC presenters that the web appbuilder for 2D apps will not be upgraded to use JS API 4.x. 

[Jianxia]

Lefteris, thanks for your comments. ArcGIS Experience Builder is the next generation of Web AppBuilder based on the 4 version of  ArcGIS API for JavaScript. We plan to move most of the out-of-the-box widgets from Web AppBuilder to Experience Builder through incremental releases. Both builders will be running in parallel. We will not take away what you can do with Web AppBuilder and enable you to do better and more with Experience Builder. You apps built with Web AppBuilder should not be affected if you decide to stay. If you have any concerns, we are here to listen and help. As product manager for ArcGIS Experience Builder and Web AppBuilder, feel free to reach me at jsong@esri.com.

Thanks, Jianxia

[LefterisKoumis]

Hello Jianxia.

Thank you for your reply. 

There are two questions that I think developers will need some clarification.

1. Are there any plans to enable developers to build 2D widgets in Web Appbuilder using JS API 4.x?

2. When the Experience Builder is ready, after all the out-of-the-box widgets migrated to this platform, will ESRI continue to update the web Appbuilder with new versions (widgets and themes)?

Thank you.

[Jianxia]

Hi Lefteris,

Good questions! There is no plan to enable developers to build 2D widgets with JSAPI 4 in Web AppBuilder as only one version of JSAPI is loaded into Web AppBuilder. This is also the reason that 2d and 3d builders are separated in Web AppBuilder. For the second question, unlike embedded web AppBuilder in ArcGIS Online and Enterprise, dev edition follows the product life cycle of ArcGIS API for JavaScript 3.x. If 3.x is retired, the dev edition built on it will be retired soon after. Understand, there is no easy way to migrate custom 2d widgets from 3.x to 4.x due to the latter has fundamental differences in the programming model compared to the former. See two Web AppBuilder related questions under UC 2019 Q&A->ArcGIS Developers section here.  Hope this helps. 

Thanks,

Jianxia

[RodWoodfordOld]

Hi Jianxia,

Thanks for the information above. Can I ask will ESRI continue to add new widgets to the WABD 3D environment. Its a little light on with functionality or do we now need to wait for the Builder Experience 3D development?

cheers

[Jianxia]

Rod,

We plan to add 3D Slice tool in Measurement widget this year in Web AppBuilder. Rich functionalities will come with Experience Builder. Since 2D and 3D are integrated into Experience Builder, the widget like Filter and Chart should work with feature layers regardless they are in the map or scene. Thanks!

[RodWoodfordOld]

Jianxia,

Would it be possible to at least add the query widget. It sounds like Experience Builder is going to be some time away in terms of full richness and we have corporate users wanting more functionality in the WADB 3D environment now.

thanks.