Table of Contents
The Video
Introduction
The ArcGIS API for Python is a powerful Python library that allows users to interact with and automate tasks in ArcGIS Online (or Portal). The API is excellent for programmatically creating, maintaining, updating and extracting components of ArcGIS Online such as WebMaps. In this blog post we will focus on using the ArcGIS API for Python to export a WebMap to configuration files that will act as an archive or backup. We will export two files, one that represents the WebMap JSON Definition, and another that represents the WebMap Item Settings. We will also account for a thumbnail.
Make sure to checkout the follow-up to this blog post where we will Restore an ArcGIS Online WebMap from Configuration Files using the ArcGIS API for Python.
Discover the power of automation and script-based operations to efficiently manage content in ArcGIS Online. Throughout this course, you will gain practical, hands-on experience with using the ArcGIS API for Python to perform a wide range of content management tasks with ease, such as creating Folders and Groups and managing content within them.
arcgis modules
The API provides access to your organisations ArcGIS Online via the GIS class in the gis module. This GIS class is the gateway to ArcGIS Online. We will also utilise two Standard Python Library modules; json for exporting and formatting our JSON files, and os for handling filepaths and creating folders.
## provides access to ArcGIS Online
from arcgis.gis import GIS
## not essential but will make the output file more readable
import json
## for creating our output file path
import os
Accessing ArcGIS Online
GIS class. There are a handful of ways to achieve access, if you are logged into your ArcGIS Online in ArcGIS Pro you can simply use "home", otherwise, another common way is to provide the ArcGIS Online URL, followed by your username and password.
## Access AGOL
agol = GIS("home")
## Access AGOL
agol = GIS(
url = "https://your_organisation.maps.arcgis.com/",
username = "Your_Username",
password = "Your_Password"
)
Required inputs
Two user inputs required; the Item ID for the WebMap to backup, and a folder path for where to store the files.
## the item id for the WebMap you want to backup/archive
wm_item_id = "WM_ITEM_ID"
## the folder where the JSON file is to be saved
output_folder = "path/to/output/folder"
Get the WebMap as an Item Object
Each piece of content in ArcGIS Online is an item defined by its item type. We get the WebMap of interest as an Item object (of type WebMap)
## the ContentManager get() will return the WebMap item as an Item object
wm_item = agol.content.get(wm_item_id)
Get the WebMap JSON Definition
Our Item object represents a WebMap, therefore, when we call the get_data() method on the Item, we are returned the WebMap JSON definition as a Python dictionary.
We will grab the favourite Item object property and add it to the wm_item because it is not stored in there by default.
## the get_data() method on a WebMap item returns the WebMap definition
## as a dictionary
wm_def = wm_item.get_data()
## struggles to know its a favorite, we'll continue to make it feel special!
wm_item["favorite"] = wm_item.favorite
Some Housekeeping Before Exporting
We create a folder within the Output Folder nominated by the user and name it the same as the WebMap itself. We will want to place two output files in this folder; one that represents the WebMap Definition, and the other that represents the WebMap item settings.
## we will use the title of the WebMap in the output files
wm_title = wm_item.title
## create a folder within the output folder
archive_folder = os.path.join(output_folder, wm_title)
## if the archive_folder doesnt exist then create it
if not os.path.exists(archive_folder):
os.makedirs(archive_folder)
## the filepath for the WebMap Definition
out_json_definition = os.path.join(archive_folder, f"Definition_{wm_title}.json")
## the fielpath for the Item Setting
out_json_settings = os.path.join(archive_folder, f"Settings_{wm_title}.json")
Export Configurations as JSON Files
We export both the WebMap JSON Definition and WebMap Item Settings to file.
## Export the WebMap Definition to file
with open(out_json_definition, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
json.dump(wm_def, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=4)
## Export the WebMap Item Settings to file
with open(out_json_settings, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
json.dump(wm_item, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=4)
Export Configurations as JSON Files
And we’ll make sure to grab the thumbnail too.
## Let's not forget the thumbnail
wm_item.download_thumbnail(save_folder=archive_folder)
Geospatial Professionals, GIS Analysts, and enthusiasts will discover the power of automation and script-based operations to efficiently interact and update WebMaps in ArcGIS Online. Throughout this course, you will gain practical, hands-on experience in leveraging the ArcGIS API for Python to perform a wide range of WebMap tasks with ease.
We will dissect WebMaps for all that they are and by the end of this course you will be comfortable with manipulating the JSON, which is the behind the scenes configuration of a WebMap, to produce scripts for workflows where there is currently no API Python method, such as grouping layers.
All the code in one place
You can find the entire code workflow below with links to important components in the documentation that were used.
## provides access to ArcGIS Online
from arcgis.gis import GIS
## not essential but will make the output file more readable
import json
## for creating our output file path
import os
################################################################################
## API Reference Links:
## https://developers.arcgis.com/python/latest/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#gis
## https://developers.arcgis.com/python/latest/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#contentmanager
## https://developers.arcgis.com/python/latest/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#arcgis.gis.ContentManager.get
## https://developers.arcgis.com/python/latest/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#item
## https://developers.arcgis.com/python/latest/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#arcgis.gis.Item.get_data
## https://developers.arcgis.com/python/latest/api-reference/arcgis.gis.toc.html#arcgis.gis.Item.download_thumbnail
##
## API Versions: 2.1.0.2, 2.2.0.1, 2.3.0, 2.4.0
##
################################################################################
################################################################################
## ACCESS ARCGIS ONLINE ########################################################
agol = GIS("home")
################################################################################
## USER INPUTS #################################################################
## teh item id for the WebMap you want to backup/archive
wm_item_id = "WM_ITEM_ID"
## the folder where the JSON file is to be saved
output_folder = "path/to/output/folder"
################################################################################
## GET THE ITEM OBJECT #########################################################
## the ContentManager get() will return the WebMap item as an Item object
wm_item = agol.content.get(wm_item_id)
################################################################################
## GET THE WEBMAP DEFINITION ###################################################
## the get_data() method on a WebMap item returns the WebMap definition
## as a dictionary
wm_def = wm_item.get_data()
## struggles to know its a favorite, we'll continue to make it feel special!
wm_item["favorite"] = wm_item.favorite
################################################################################
## GETTING READY TO EXPORT #####################################################
## we will use the title of the WebMap in the output files
wm_title = wm_item.title
## create a folder within the output folder
archive_folder = os.path.join(output_folder, wm_title)
## if the archive_folder doesnt exist then create it
if not os.path.exists(archive_folder):
os.makedirs(archive_folder)
## the filepath for the WebMap Definition
out_json_definition = os.path.join(archive_folder, f"Definition_{wm_title}.json")
## the fielpath for the Item Setting
out_json_settings = os.path.join(archive_folder, f"Settings_{wm_title}.json")
################################################################################
## SAVE AS JSON FILES ##########################################################
## Export the WebMap Definition to file
with open(out_json_definition, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
json.dump(wm_def, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=4)
## Export the WebMap Item Settings to file
with open(out_json_settings, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
json.dump(wm_item, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=4)
################################################################################
## DOWNLOAD THE THUMBNAIL ######################################################
## Let's not forget the thumbnail
wm_item.download_thumbnail(save_folder=archive_folder)
################################################################################
print("\nSCRIPT COMPLETE")
