{"id":77881,"date":"2017-06-30T05:08:57","date_gmt":"2017-06-30T05:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/product\/uncategorized\/who-would-win-matching-layer-types-to-common-workflows\/"},"modified":"2019-05-06T11:41:04","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T18:41:04","slug":"who-would-win-matching-layer-types-to-common-workflows","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/data-management\/mapping\/who-would-win-matching-layer-types-to-common-workflows","title":{"rendered":"Who would win? Matching layer types to common workflows"},"author":6981,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[23851,22941,37511],"tags":[28621,33651,33381,32511],"industry":[],"product":[36551],"class_list":["post-77881","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-data-management","category-mapping","category-sharing-collaboration","tag-feature-layers","tag-june-2017-release","tag-tile-layers","tag-view-layers","product-arcgis-online"],"acf":{"short_description":"One of the great things about ArcGIS Online is having the multiple ways of delivering your data, it ensures that you can tailor it differ...","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

One of the great things about ArcGIS Online is having the multiple ways of delivering your data, it ensures that you can tailor it different ways and deliver the best experience for your many different audiences.\u00a0 In a sea of choices though, picking the right path can feel a bit daunting.\u00a0\u00a0 So, in this blog we\u2019re going to look at some common WebGIS workflows and pit different layers against each other to see who wins.\u00a0 Before you settle in ring side with some popcorn and a cold drink to enjoy the show here is some background on today’s contenders:<\/p>\n

Feature layers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature layers<\/a> are the bread and butter of every WebGIS. They allow dynamic styling, controlled editing, offline use and can be used to perform analysis. \u00a0They\u2019re flexible, fast and the starting point for almost any publishing workflow.\u00a0 Not sure what layer type is the best to use? Start with a feature layer, then expand into other layer types when needed.<\/p>\n

Hosted feature layer views <\/strong><\/p>\n

Hosted feature layer views<\/a> or view layers for short are created from feature layers.\u00a0\u00a0 Think of them as a special kind of feature layer but with more options.\u00a0 View layers allow you to create a new layer that shares the same data as the feature layer it was created from.\u00a0 In addition to sharing data a view layer can filter that data, and have different sharing permissions or editing capabilities giving additional flexibility and control without duplicating data. Most of the time View layers and feature layers can be used interchangeably, but if need the added control that a view layer gives you it is the clear winner.<\/p>\n

Tile layers <\/strong><\/p>\n

Tile layers<\/a> are rasterized tiles of data.\u00a0 Tile layers can be created from a tile cache (like a tpk<\/a>) and in that case, are static and never change (great for imagery). \u00a0Tile layers can also be created from a feature layer or view layer, when they are they have the option of automatically staying up to date with the feature layer as the data changes.<\/p>\n

With introductions, out of the way, sit back and enjoy the show\u2026<\/p>\n

Round 1 \u2013 Authoring for High Demand<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Round 2 \u2013 Collecting Community Feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Round 3 \u2013 Sharing layers to Open Data\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Round 4 \u2013 Publishing Large Datasets\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Closing Tips and Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n

After the dust, has settled, you\u2019ll have noticed a few repeating patterns. While there are some clear winners for some of the use-cases you\u2019ll notice that it\u2019s not a one size fits all. Depending on your audience, and data you may find the \u201cbest\u201d approach is the simplest one if it is suitable for your needs.<\/p>\n