Types of apps

Use the portal service to search for different types of public or private content.

The ArcGIS portal service enables the creation of two main types of applications:

  1. Admin apps focus on organizing and securing geospatial data, implementing access controls, version management, and metadata organization.
  2. Content-driven applications leverage curated data to create interactive maps, dashboards, and custom applications, enhancing user engagement and enabling data-driven decision-making.

Admin apps

A content management application is a tool designed using client APIs or REST APIs, enabling direct interaction with the portal service. Developers utilize these APIs to create applications that can efficiently perform fundamental operations. These operations include:

  • Creating new geospatial items
  • Accessing existing resources
  • Managing users permissions and groups within the portal.

By automating tasks such as data creation and user management, these applications simplify the process of organizing and securing geospatial data. Content management applications streamline essential functions, ensuring the portal's content remains well-organized and accessible.

Example apps

You can build applications that:

Workflows

The general steps for building content management applications are:

  1. Connect to the portal service at https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest.
  2. Make requests to the portal service. An access token may be required.

Content-driven applications

Content-driven applications are created through a practical approach called the tools-first workflow. This method prioritizes efficiency and user-friendly development. Initially, developers use interactive tool like the portal to design content within the portal. These tools offer intuitive interfaces allowing users to create detailed maps and datasets without diving into complex coding.

Once the content is authored in the portal, developers can focus on building customized web applications that access this existing content. This approach significantly reduces development time and complexity. Instead of starting from scratch, developers can use the pre-made content available in the portal in their apps.

For instance, creating and styling a web map becomes much simpler when done using the Map Viewer. It is far easier to then display this pre-styled map in a web app rather than having to write extensive code to create and style the entire map from scratch. This approach streamlines the development process, making it more efficient and less time-consuming.

Example tools

Tools that can create content for applications are:

  • Map Viewer: Create and style layers in a web map.
  • Scene Viewer: Create and style layers in a web scene.
  • Portal: Import data as a feature layer and set its properties, publish a vector tile layer.
  • ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor: Style a basemap layer.

Workflows

The general steps for building content-driven applications are:

  1. Create content such as a web map, web scene, or hosted layer with tools.
  2. Manage the content items with tools.
  3. Access the content items with a custom application.

Services

API support

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ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript1111
ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET1111
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Kotlin1111
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift1111
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Java1111
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt1111
ArcGIS API for Python
ArcGIS REST JS
Esri Leaflet222222
MapLibre GL JS222222
OpenLayers222222
Full supportPartial supportNo support
  • 1. Limited operations, use HTTP requests.
  • 2. Access via ArcGIS REST JS.

Tools

Use tools to access the portal and create and manage content for applications.

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