Content Management with the ArcGIS API for Python

Learn the basics of the ArcGIS API for Python to interact with ArcGIS Online and Portal for Content Management.

What you'll learn

• Core concepts of the ArcGIS API for Python for Content Management.
• Create Folders and Groups to Organize Content.
• Learn how to Access and Update the Properties of ArcGIS Online Content Items.
• An Overview of the Feature Layer Collection (Feature Service), Feature Layer, and Table objects.
• Search for Content Items in ArcGIS Online.
• Create and Manage Category Schemas for ArcGIS Online Items and Groups

Requirements

• Knowledge of ArcGIS Online content items such as Feature Services, Feature Layers, and Groups.
• Comfortable with navigating through and finding content in ArcGIS Online Folders and Groups.
• Basic knowledge of Python Programming language.
• A Python IDE, this course will use PyScripter, but you can use an IDE of your own choice.
  Basic knowledge of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

Description

The first course of its kind on Udemy relating to the ArcGIS API for Python. This introductory course will provide you with a solid foundation to begin automating content management workflows and tasks with ArcGIS Online (or Portal). We will only use the ArcGIS API for Python throughout the course, and the standard Python library modules json, csv, and datetime where required. You can sign up for a free 21-day trial of ArcGIS Online/ArcGIS Pro that includes 2 Creator and 3 viewer licenses along with 400 in credits, which is well beyond the minor credit usage this course will use (approx 0.6 storage credit per day).

Automation is a hot topic for the Esri ArcGIS suite of software. Automating workflows in ArcGIS can significantly improve workflow efficiencies to witness time and cost saving. Knowledge of the ArcGIS API for Python will enhance your career prospects. Although this course focuses on Content Management as the main topic, it can also be considered as an introduction to the ArcGIS API for Python.

We will begin the journey with an overview of the components of the API used throughout the course and how to use the GIS class as the entry to your organizations ArcGIS Online via the API, before diving into code and scripts.

Our GIS needs some data! We will accomplish adding a set of Shapefiles and a CSV file as Content Items and publish these as Hosted Feature Services and a Hosted Table.

Folders are a great way to organize your content per user. We will create a couple of Folders and move created content into them. We will look at a selection of functions available via the ContentManager module to create, rename, and delete folders amongst other actions.

While folders are a great way to organize content per user, Groups can be used to organize and control access to data and provide security of the data across the Organization by granting access to specified users to view and interact with the content assigned to the Group. We will create a Group and look at accessing and updating the Group properties along with adding and removing content from a Group. We will take a look at a handful of methods available with a Group object such as adding/removing users, and prevent a Group from being delete.

ArcGIS Online content items have properties that assign descriptive meaning along with control configurations for that item. We will take a look at the properties for a Hosted Feature Service and Table, and show how to update certain properties with the API, and we will see how these updated are reflected in ArcGIS Online.

We will have a look at properties for a Feature Layer Collection object which represents the Feature Service. A Feature Service has settings and capabilities and we will see how we can manipulate these with the API. We can use the ArcGIS API for Python to set, turn on, and turn off various settings and capabilities such as editing and enabling editor tracking, and allowing users to extract the data in various file formats.

Continuing with accessing and updating properties, we will take a look at the properties associated with a Feature Layer and a Table Layer and how we can update the properties for these two. We will look at how to enable attachments for both.

Throughout the course we use a content items id to access the various item types. We will show the search capabilities associated with the ArcGIS API for Python and how we can search for content within the Organization and within and individual Group.

We will finish up with a some ContentManager methods that were unused through the course but are important to know, and also provide practical, real-life, examples of using the ArcGIS API for Python for Content Management.

Your course instructor, Glen Bambrick, has over 16 years' experience with GIS and geospatial data, and has implemented standardized workflows utilizing the ArcGIS API for Python to great affect. In this course he will introduce you to the ArcGIS for Python API and take you through some common tasks with a focus on Content Management.

By the end of this course… you will be fully armed with the capability to start using the ArcGIS for Python API with your own workflows for Content Management. This course will spark your imagination to what can be achieved and give you a solid footing to begin making the ArcGIS for Python API a part of your daily endeavors for automating those repetitive tasks relating to ArcGIS Online. You will be able to add and create content, Folders, and Groups, and alter the properties and settings associated with each. You will be able to access and manipulate the JSON behind the scenes for Feature Services, Feature Layers and Tables.

Who this course is for:

• ArcGIS Online users who want to begin their automation adventures with the ArcGIS API for Python
• ArcGIS Online users who want to innovate with regards to content creation and management.
• ArcGIS Online users who have an interest in the configurations behind items and content in ArcGIS Online.