I am interested in knowing if anyone else thinks the following TOC ideas would be good to add to the Layer List widget and even ArcMap Desktop:
1. This applies to both ArcMap Desktop and any web layerlist widgets: If only SOME layers in a group are on, the parent checkbox should reflect this state by becoming a partially-checked checkbox. Like Windows does for example dialogues. (a smaller square dot inside the checkbox)
2. If you control-click a layer, it should turn all other layers on in the group (or all layers if there are no groups). In the LayerList widget. Just like ArcMap.
3. Transparency slider on TOC in Web App Builder. And the beta TOC in API 3.14. (implement just like AGS JS TOC; ie transparency slider as an option to enable/disable per layer)
4. Another idea that could apply to both ArcMap Desktop and any web layerlist widgets: if you Shift-click a group checkbox, it turns ALL layers inside the group on, regardless of if they're on or off in the MXD.
5. When we turn on a layer, it should turn its group parent(s) on, so you don't need to click three or four times to turn a nested layer on, if it's a few levels deep. The way it is currently designed will confuse and frustrate some of my users, having to do several clicks to turn on a sublayer. (it already has, in my mini focus group previewing WAB)
The way AGS TOC does it is what would be preferred by my users. I am trying to think of a reason why one would not want group parents to turn on... and I can't think of a use case. Doesn't make any sense. I click a layer on, and I expect it to be on. So, I strongly suggest Layer List be refactored so that layers turn on group parents all the way up the chain, when a layer is turned on. So, you click a layer 5 levels deep, and presto, it's visible. Not 5 clicks.
Adding these won't impact everyday users, although they may notice and appreciate the partial checkbox status. The power users however would perhaps appreciate they key shortcuts. And the programming behind them shouldn't be too involved to add. AGS TOC could even add these, perhaps. Nianwei Liu and other TOC gurus, what do you think?