{"id":647232,"date":"2024-02-08T17:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T01:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcuser&p=647232"},"modified":"2024-02-08T17:00:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T01:00:48","slug":"a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers","status":"publish","type":"arcuser","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers","title":{"rendered":"A Better Way to Build and Maintain Feature Layers"},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10392,25022,275962],"tags":[178472,488122],"arcuser_issues":[487872],"class_list":["post-647232","arcuser","type-arcuser","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arcgis-online","category-hands-on","category-managing-gis-2","tag-best-practices","tag-hosted-feature-layers","arcuser_issues-winter-2024"],"acf":{"short_description":"This workflow describes how to use layer views to make updates quickly and easily, and efficiently manage important feature layers.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":647252,"file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

Do you have layers that occasionally need to be updated?<\/em><\/h3>\r\nThe workflow described in this article uses layer views to make updates quick and easy, and efficiently manage important feature layers."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

What Is a Layer View?<\/h3>\r\nA hosted feature layer view looks and acts like a hosted feature layer but doesn\u2019t have its own data. As the name implies, layer views are simply a second view of a hosted feature layer that lets you maintain a public-facing view while keeping its feature layer hidden.\r\n\r\nThis simple architecture\u2014a shared layer view and a hidden feature layer\u2014enables you to do updates out of sight of your users and make updates with minimal impact. ArcGIS Online provides a simple process for switching which feature layer a layer view uses. Layer swapping is a powerful technique that will make your work easier.\r\n\r\n "},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":647282,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":647292,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The Benefits of Layer Swapping<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to letting you perform seamless and instantaneous data updates, using layer swaps hides the lengthy publishing process, while giving you time to check the layer prior to changing a public-facing layer. If something in your updated layer doesn\u2019t look right, you can quickly and easily swap back to the old layer. Symbology, pop-up configuration, and other properties can be saved in the layer view and will be maintained after the swap. Maintaining old feature layers leaves an archive of past versions.\r\n\r\nLayer swap architecture is particularly useful when working with large layers. Updating a very large feature service can take some time\u2014from minutes to hours\u2014and a layer swap enables you to hide that layer while it publishes. This means you can take your time and check your work before sharing it with your users.\r\n

Performing a Layer Swap Is Quick and Easy<\/h3>\r\nStart with a view layer. If you need help creating a view layer, read \u201cIntroducing the new create and update view layer experiences<\/a>\u201d to get started. Note that you must be the owner or administrator of a hosted feature layer to create and manage layer views from it.\r\n\r\nFrom the layer view\u2019s item page, click the Settings tab and scroll down to the bottom of the window and click Update View. After the Update View window opens, click Swap source at the bottom of the window. After reviewing the source layer requirements, click Browse for a layer. Locate the replacement layer and click the arrows to swap layers. You can confirm that the layers swapped by looking at the source layer on the item page for the layer view.\r\n\r\n "},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":647312,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Things to Know<\/h3>\r\nWhile the layer swap is straightforward, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The most important is that the schemas of the new and old feature layers should match. The new layer must include the same layers and tables as the original source. If you run into issues, make sure these things are the same in both layers:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Coordinate system<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Spatial reference<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Geometry type<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Layer and table order must match<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Fields in the new attribute table must match the visible fields of the old layer<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Layer ID numbers must match<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n "},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":647322,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":647332,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":647342,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

    Use Layer Swaps in Your Work<\/h3>\r\nTaking the time to set up a layer view will allow you to work behind the scenes and give your maps the professional edge that users expect from a top-quality product. Keep your data up-to-date with seamless transitions to give your users confidence that your layer will be there when they need it."}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nManage map layers by swapping them<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Use swapping with hosted feature layers to switch layers behind the scene when maintaining public facing data.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Better Way to Build and Maintain Feature Layers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Use swapping with hosted feature layers to switch layers behind the scene when maintaining public facing data.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Esri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/swapping_banner.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Esri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t \"@graph\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers\",\n\t \"name\": \"Manage map layers by swapping them\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\"\n\t },\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2024-02-09T01:00:48+00:00\",\n\t \"description\": \"Use swapping with hosted feature layers to switch layers behind the scene when maintaining public facing data.\",\n\t \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers#breadcrumb\"\n\t },\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/a-better-way-to-build-and-maintain-feature-layers#breadcrumb\",\n\t \"itemListElement\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 1,\n\t \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 2,\n\t \"name\": \"A Better Way to Build and Maintain Feature Layers\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"Esri\",\n\t \"description\": \"Esri Newsroom\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t \"target\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t },\n\t \"query-input\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t }\n\t }\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/82e5143bcdebadf8fd64d84e503ca468\",\n\t \"name\": \"Monica Pratt\",\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2018\/08\/MonicaMug_agol2.jpg\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2018\/08\/MonicaMug_agol2.jpg\",\n\t \"caption\": \"Monica Pratt\"\n\t },\n\t \"description\": \"Monica Pratt is the founding and current editor of ArcUser magazine, the executive editor of ArcNews magazine, the editor of Esri Globe and head of the Publications team at Esri. 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