If you need a different view of the data represented by a hosted feature layer or hosted spatiotemporal feature layer—for example, you want to apply different editor settings, styles, or filters—create a hosted feature layer view of that hosted feature layer.
When you create a feature layer view, a new layer item is added to Content. This new layer is a view of the data in the hosted feature layer, which means updates made to the data appear in the hosted feature layer and all of its hosted feature layer views. However, because the view is a separate layer, you can change properties and settings on the view item separately from the hosted feature layer from which it is created. For example, you can allow members of a specific group to edit the hosted feature layer but share a read-only feature layer view with the rest of your organization.
Only the owner of a hosted feature layer can create a hosted feature layer view from the original layer. This is different than copying a layer, which can be done by nonowners and even public users.
Create a hosted feature layer view
Follow these steps to create a hosted feature layer view from a hosted feature layer, hosted spatiotemporal feature layer, or from one of the sublayers in a hosted feature or spatiotemporal feature layer:
- Sign in to your organization.
You must have privileges to create content, and you must be the owner of the hosted feature layer from which you want to create the view.
- Open Content > My Content and open the item page for the hosted feature layer or hosted spatiotemporal feature layer you want to use as a source for the view.
The layer must be a hosted layer, not a feature layer added from the web or a feature collection.
- Click Create View Layer on the Overview tab of the layer's details page.
- Choose the layers to include in the hosted feature layer view.
By default, all layers are included (checked). To exclude (uncheck) a layer from the view, click the layer name. Click the layer again to add it back to the view.
- Click Next to set a definition for each layer.
- Click the first layer to access the layer's definition options. Use the following options to define what features are included in each layer in the view:
- Add filter—You can filter a view's contents by defining filter expressions for one or more of the fields in the layer.
For example, you can exclude blank (null) field values or only include numeric field values greater than a number that you specify.
To define a filter expression, click Add filter > Add expression and use the drop-down lists to construct the expression.
You can add multiple filter expressions per layer. To do so, click Add expression and define an additional expression. Repeat this step for each filter expression you need to add.
When you have all the filters defined, use the Filter results drop-down menu to define whether a feature must meet all the conditions defined in the filter expression to be included in the view (Match all expressions) or if a feature must meet only one of the filter's expressions to be included in the view (Match at least one expression).
- Area of interest—To limit the features included in the view, define a spatial extent for the layer. Only the features located in that extent will be included in the view.
Click the Polygon or Rectangle button and draw an area on the map. If you want to define the same area of interest for all the layers in the view, click Apply to all layers.
Note:
If you define different areas of interest on each layer in a hosted feature layer view, you cannot enable synchronization.
- Fields—You can exclude fields from the view if the view users do not need to see them. For example, you can exclude fields that contain sensitive information (such as people's names, health information, or age).
To define which fields to include in the view, click Select fields and click the field names to remove them from or add them to the view. To help you determine whether a field should be included or excluded from the view, click the info button next to the field name to see a description of the field. Click Done when you finish defining which fields to include in the view.
Note:
You cannot exclude fields that ArcGIS Enterprise requires. For example, you cannot uncheck system fields such as the layer's ID. You also cannot exclude fields that don't allow null values if you have not set a default value for the field. If no default value is set, editors must have access to nonnullable fields to input values when editing.
- Add filter—You can filter a view's contents by defining filter expressions for one or more of the fields in the layer.
- When you finish defining options for a layer, click the arrow next to Layer definitions to return to the list of all layers in the view.
- To set definitions for other layers in the view, repeat steps 6 and 7 for each.
- When you finish setting definition options for all layers in the view, click Next.
- Type a unique title for the hosted feature layer view.
- Choose the folder where the hosted feature layer view will be stored.
- Type a summary that describes the use and content of the view.
- If your organization administrator configured content categories, click Assign Category and select up to 20 categories to help people find your item.
You can use the Filter categories box to narrow the list of categories.
- Optionally, type tag terms separated by commas.
Tags are words or short phrases that describe your item and help people find your item when searching. Federal land is considered one tag, while Federal,land is considered two tags.
- Click Create to create the view.
The hosted feature layer view's item page appears when the view is created. Now you can share the view with those who need it.
Hosted feature layer view settings
Settings for hosted feature layer views fall into three categories as described in the following sections.
Settings inherited from the hosted feature layer that cannot be independently configured on the views
Hosted feature layer views inherit the following settings from the hosted feature layers from which you create them. When any of these settings change on a hosted feature layer, the settings also change on all its views; you cannot independently change these settings on the hosted feature layer view.
- The ability to store attachments on individual layers
- The ability to track who creates and edits data
- Layer metadata
- Value lists and ranges
- Field properties including the display name, description, field value type, and whether edits are allowed for the field
Settings inherited from the hosted feature layer that you can change on the view
Hosted feature layer views inherit the following from the hosted feature layer from which you create them. If you prefer a different configuration for the feature layer view, you can change the view's configuration without affecting the hosted feature layer.
- Pop-ups configured on the Visualization tab
- Styles configured on the Visualization tab
- Item-level metadata
- Tags and categories
Settings that can be made independently on views and the hosted feature layers from which they are created
Hosted feature layer views do not inherit the following from the hosted feature layer from which you create them. Set these separately on the view.
- How the item is shared
- Delete protection
- The layer's extent
- Allowing others to export data
- Allowing editors to edit data
- Allow public data collection
- Filters applied to the layer on the Visualization tab
- Time settings
Interdependent settings that are not inherited
Hosted feature layer views do not inherit synchronization settings from the hosted feature layer from which you create them. To enable synchronization on a hosted feature layer view, you must first enable it on the primary hosted feature layer. To disable synchronization on the primary hosted feature layer, you must first disable it on each dependent hosted feature layer view.
Hosted spatiotemporal feature layer view settings
Settings for hosted feature layer views fall into three categories as described in the following sections.
Settings inherited from the hosted spatiotemporal feature layer that cannot be independently configured on the views
Hosted feature layer views inherit field properties from the hosted spatiotemporal feature layers from which you create them. This includes the field display name, description, field value type, and whether edits are allowed for the field. When any of these settings change on a hosted spatiotemporal feature layer, the settings also change on all its views; you cannot independently change these settings on the hosted feature layer view.
Settings inherited from the hosted spatiotemporal feature layer that you can change on the view
Hosted feature layer views inherit the following from the hosted feature layer from which you create them. If you prefer a different configuration for the feature layer view, you can change the view's configuration without affecting the hosted feature layer.
- Pop-ups configured on the Visualization tab
- Styles configured on the Visualization tab
- Item-level metadata
- Tags and categories
Settings that can be made independently on views and the hosted spatiotemporal feature layers from which they are created
Hosted feature layer views do not inherit the following from the hosted spatiotemporal feature layer from which you create them. Set these separately on the view.
- How the item is shared
- Delete protection
- The layer's extent
- Allowing editors to edit data
- Allow public data collection
- Filters applied to the layer on the Visualization tab
- Time settings
Hosted feature layer views and data access
As the owner of hosted feature layers or an organization administrator, you must carefully consider the implications of enabling editing and take into consideration who has access to the layer. For example, if you enable editing on a layer that is shared with the public, anyone who can access your portal—even people who do not sign in to your organization—can edit the layer. In general, the more people that have access to a layer, the more restrictive the editing privileges should be on the layer. So unless you're creating a hosted feature layer with the express purpose of using it in a public-facing app to collect information, you should not enable editing on a feature layer you've shared with everyone.
Hosted feature layer views are ideal for helping you control access to the same hosted feature data; you can allow editing access to only those users who need it. You can make your hosted feature layer editable and share it with only those groups whose members need to edit the data. Then you can create hosted feature layer views from the hosted feature layer, don't enable editing on them, and share the views with more groups, the entire organization, or even the public without compromising your data.
See Controlling access to hosted feature layer data for an explanation of how combining views and different editing options can help you make the same data available to different types of users with different editing needs.
Considerations when creating hosted feature layer views
Keep the following in mind when you create hosted feature layer views:
- If you need to refresh the data, overwrite the hosted feature layer from which the view was created. The data updates appear in the view.
Note:
You cannot overwrite the hosted feature layer from ArcGIS Pro if you add layers to the map, delete layers from the map, or reorder the layers in the map before overwriting. If you need to add, delete, or reorder layers before overwriting the hosted feature layer, you must first delete all dependent views.
- You can create a maximum of 20 views from the same hosted feature layer.