Types of mobile data sources

how offline app works
Different types of mobile data sources for offline apps

A is a data format used to build using . A mobile data source may contain a or , layers, and other geospatial information packaged for offline use.

Mobile data sources include the following:

The mobile data source you use depends on your type of offline app. Partially offline apps support all four . Fully offline apps only support and . This section provides an overview of each mobile data source and explains how to select a mobile data source for your offline app.

Offline maps

An is a downloaded from an . It also includes data content that is referenced by layers in the offline map. You can use an in your partially offline app to display a map, edit features in a map, and synchronize them when you are back online.

To use an , you begin with a that is enabled for offline use. The web map definition and the layer contents are then downloaded as an offline map which can be used without a network connection. The application can either download a geographic area that the web map's owner has already configured, also known as , or specify an area of the web map to take offline in the code.

An uses behind the scenes. However, offline maps can automatically handle download and storage management for data content. On the other hand, if you work with offline data directly, you have to manage this yourself.

Offline data

is data that is generated and downloaded from an , such as the , , , and . You can use offline data in your partially offline app to display offline tile layers, feature layers, edit features or attachments offline, and synchronize them when you are back online.

To use , you begin by publishing a and enable it for offline use. Then, you can request a geographic area covered within that service to be downloaded as offline data. There are two types of that can be generated and downloaded:

  • Tile data: Other services listed above can generate a package file of read-only tiles, either a , or an .
  • Feature data: A can generate a file containing offline and non-spatial data. This data can be edited and edits can be synchronized with the source feature service when a network connection is available.

Mobile packages

A contains one or more or . It also contains data content that is referenced by layers in the maps or scenes. You can use mobile packages in your partially offline app or fully offline app to display a map or scene, , search for places, find and directions, and perform offline spatial analysis. However, mobile packages do not support editing features nor synchronizing.

To use a in an , you begin by creating an ArcGIS Pro project containing maps or scenes, package them, then or download the package to the device. There are two types of that can be created using :

  • : This type of mobile package contains .
  • : This type of mobile package contains .

Data files

A is a local file stored on a device that contains data that can be displayed by a in a or . You can use data files in your partially offline app or fully offline app to display maps or scenes, edit data offline, and query features. Some data files support editing and querying, but some do not.

To use a in an , you begin by creating a dataset and use tools, such as , to process it into a data file format of your choice. You can also get data files using data conversion scripts or from the internet.

You can use the following types of in your offline app:

Data file typeSupports editing
Yes
No
No
Scene Layer Package. For display in scenes only.No
Local raster file. The following raster formats are supported: ASRP/USRP, CIB, CADRG/ECRG, DTED, GeoPackage Raster, GeoTIFF/TIFF, HFA, HRE, IMG, JPEG, JPEG2000, Mosaic Dataset in SQLite, NITF, PNG, RPF, SRTM, CRF, and MrSID.No
OGC (feature data)Yes
OGC (raster data)No
OGC KML fileYes
Electronic Nautical Chart (S-57). For display in maps only.No
Other (e.g. GeoJSON)Yes

How to select a mobile data source

The following questions may help you decide which to use in your :

  1. Will your device have a network connection at all?

    Some offline apps are prohibited from accessing a network due to regulatory or operational reasons. If your will never have access to a network connection, then it is a fully offline app. You can:

    • a mobile package of or .
    • data files and construct a or in code, then add from the sideloaded data files.

    You can work with an or without a network connection, but will need a network connection to initially download them and later to synchronize offline edits with the online source. Therefore, they are more suitable for partially offline apps.

  2. Do you need to edit data in a feature service?

    If your needs to edit data hosted in a , you can:

    • Download an offline map from a that includes a layer from the feature service.
    • Download offline data from .
  3. Will you be working in 3D?

    If your needs to use 3D , you cannot use . Instead, you can either:

  4. Will you be geocoding or routing?

    If your needs to perform or without a network connection, then you need to use mobile packages.

The flowchart below goes into greater detail about selecting a mobile data source for your offline app:

choose an approach flowchart
A flowchart to select the most suitable mobile data source for your offline app

Tutorials

Create an offline-enabled web map

Use Map Viewer and the ArcGIS portal to create an offline-enabled web map.


Create an offline map area

Use your portal to create an offline map area from an offline-enabled web map.


Create a mobile map package

Use ArcGIS Pro to create a mobile map package.


Workflows

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