ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript 4.26
Candid Candor
The API formerly known as the ArcGIS API for JavaScript is now called the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript (hereafter known as the JavaScript Maps SDK). It’s just a name change.
At 4.26, we fixed 22 bugs, made 5 enhancements, and added or updated 12 samples.
3x isn’t dead, but it’s officially on life support. It’s still a great product, it’s just time to stop using it and find something better. Like 4x.
The Hits
Some of the highlights of the 4.26 release are highlights themselves.
Features can be highlighted with different symbols per layer in a 2D MapView (coming soon to 3D SceneViews). TileLayer popups also highlight, which is a nice continuation of the work we did in 4.24 to make MapImageLayer popups highlight.
While we typically try to avoid labeling people, we also brought more attention to our labeling experience by enhancing FeatureLayer labels to now support custom backgrounds and borders.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most finger snaps in one minute is 437, and was achieved by Cory Macellaro. The most measurement snaps in a 3D SceneView? No entry, so it must be zero. Well no longer. Direct line and area measurements now snap to features and 3D objects in your 3D scene. Snapping is enabled by default and can be toggled off/on by holding the Control key.
Often seen in the form of a sign appealing to truckers, max scales have gotten an update as well. You can now disable clustering and binning visualizations when the user zooms beyond a given maxScale.
A common question asked is does the view match the legend? Unfortunately, for some UniqueValueRenderer users, the answer was no. But with version 4.26 of the JavaScript Maps SDK, with the new orderByClassesEnabled property, the answer is now yes. The order of features in the view can match the order defined for the unique values in the legend.
What else is popping? Why Voxel layers of course. Now you can use Popups and the Slice widget to your VoxelLayer for even more interactivity. 3D SceneView terrain shading and resolution also saw significant improvements.
MediaLayer is now in the MapViewer these days, which means you can add, edit, and save your favorite media to a webmap.
StreamLayer is also in the news, with improved websocket messaging and helper methods to pause and resume connections.
And we introduced a new layer, KnowledgeGraphLayer, for visualizing data from a knowledgeGraphService on a map. A KnowledgeGraphLayer is a composite layer with sublayers for spatial and non-spatial entity and relationship types.
Popups keep popping up in the news, with the new ability to select related records in a popup, and popup chart colors now automatically respect feature reduction renderer colors when visualizing data with specific renderers.
There are many other updates at 4.26, such as printing non-spatial tables, being able to download and run some samples using ES modules, and utility networks enhancements. And more. Check out the Release Notes for the full story.
Highlights
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the below song parody are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Esri, or any of its affiliates. Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or recounting of this song, without the express written consent of Esri, is prohibited.
Update
4.26 is released
Put on your comfy polo fleece
Get ready to read
Highlights
Lots of updates to delight
Bug fixes are alright
Maps SDK
4.26 is better than 4.25
Better than 4.25
4x makes your apps thrive
Makes your apps thrive
But when the Calcite arrives
Calcite arrives
It’s best to use 4.26
Use 4.26
So let us go, let us go
Let us get in the know
Apply a background and a border
To your layer label
For a map server, or a tile layer
Popups will delight
Just wait and you’ll see
Different symbols to highlight
Coming to update you
You, you
Coming to update you, update
You
Clusters
maxScale bringing luster
UniqueValueRenderer can muster
Sorting by legend order
Snapping
3D measurements are slapping
MediaLayer ain’t napping
Mensurate your border
4.26 is better than 4.25
Better than 4.25
4x makes your apps thrive
Makes your apps thrive
But when the Calcite arrives
Calcite arrives
It’s best to use 4.26
Use 4.26
So let us go, let us go
Let us get in the know
Apply a background and a border
To your layer label
For a map server, or a tile layer
Popups will delight
Just wait and you’ll see
Different symbols to highlight
Coming to update you
You, you
Coming to update you, update
You
Every time I use StreamLayer, I can pause and resume now
Related records can be accessed from the popup, wow
And I’m printing non-spatial tables, just ask me how
Don’t take it from me, just read the release notes
Don’t take it from me
I’m downloading samples using ES modules
Don’t take it from me, just read the release notes
So let us go, let us go
Let us get in the know
Apply a background and a border
To your layer label
For a map server, or a tile layer
Popups will delight
Just wait and you’ll see
Different symbols to highlight
Coming to update you
You, you
Coming to update you, update
You
References
Release Blog
4.26 Release Notes
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/guide/release-notes/index.html
4.26 Samples
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/sample-code/?tagged=4.26
4x Breaking Changes
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/guide/breaking-changes/index.html
3.43 What’s New
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/3/jshelp/whats_new.html
3x Retirement
Song inspiration
Fair use and Parody law
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use