ArcGIS Widgets & UI

Use this skill when building user interfaces with widgets, Map Components, and Calcite.

Best Practice: Prefer Map Components (web components like arcgis-legend, arcgis-search) over Core API widgets when possible. Esri is transitioning to web components, and some widgets are already deprecated. See Esri's component transition plan.

Map Components Approach

Available Map Components

Note: Not all widgets have component equivalents yet. FeatureForm, Histogram, and some specialized widgets only have Core API versions.

Slot-Based Positioning

<arcgis-map basemap="streets-vector">
  <!-- Position widgets using slots -->
  <arcgis-zoom slot="top-left"></arcgis-zoom>
  <arcgis-home slot="top-left"></arcgis-home>
  <arcgis-compass slot="top-left"></arcgis-compass>

  <arcgis-search slot="top-right"></arcgis-search>
  <arcgis-layer-list slot="top-right"></arcgis-layer-list>

  <arcgis-legend slot="bottom-left"></arcgis-legend>
  <arcgis-scale-bar slot="bottom-right"></arcgis-scale-bar>

  <!-- Popup must use popup slot -->
  <arcgis-popup slot="popup"></arcgis-popup>
</arcgis-map>

Available slots: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right, popup, manual

Expand Component

Wrap widgets in arcgis-expand for collapsible behavior:

<arcgis-map basemap="streets-vector">
  <arcgis-expand slot="top-right" expand-tooltip="Show Legend" mode="floating">
    <arcgis-legend></arcgis-legend>
  </arcgis-expand>

  <arcgis-expand slot="top-left" expanded>
    <arcgis-layer-list></arcgis-layer-list>
  </arcgis-expand>
</arcgis-map>

Reference Element (External Components)

Place components outside the map and reference them:

<calcite-shell>
  <calcite-shell-panel slot="panel-start">
    <arcgis-legend reference-element="arcgis-map"></arcgis-legend>
  </calcite-shell-panel>

  <arcgis-map id="arcgis-map" basemap="topo-vector">
    <arcgis-zoom slot="top-left"></arcgis-zoom>
  </arcgis-map>
</calcite-shell>

Core Widget Approach

Adding Widgets to View

import Legend from "@arcgis/core/widgets/Legend.js";
import LayerList from "@arcgis/core/widgets/LayerList.js";
import Search from "@arcgis/core/widgets/Search.js";

// Create widget
const legend = new Legend({ view: view });

// Add to view UI
view.ui.add(legend, "bottom-left");

// Add multiple widgets
view.ui.add([
  { component: legend, position: "bottom-left" },
  { component: search, position: "top-right" }
]);

// Add to specific index (order in position)
view.ui.add(legend, { position: "bottom-left", index: 0 });

// Remove widget
view.ui.remove(legend);

Widget in Custom Container

<div id="legendDiv"></div>

<script type="module">
import Legend from "@arcgis/core/widgets/Legend.js";

const legend = new Legend({
  view: view,
  container: "legendDiv" // Or document.getElementById("legendDiv")
});
</script>

Common Widgets

Legend

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-legend slot="bottom-left"></arcgis-legend>

// Core API
import Legend from "@arcgis/core/widgets/Legend.js";

const legend = new Legend({
  view: view,
  layerInfos: [{
    layer: featureLayer,
    title: "Custom Title"
  }]
});

view.ui.add(legend, "bottom-left");

LayerList

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-layer-list slot="top-right"></arcgis-layer-list>

// Core API with actions
import LayerList from "@arcgis/core/widgets/LayerList.js";

const layerList = new LayerList({
  view: view,
  listItemCreatedFunction: (event) => {
    const item = event.item;
    item.actionsSections = [[{
      title: "Zoom to layer",
      icon: "zoom-to-object",
      id: "zoom-to"
    }]];
  }
});

layerList.on("trigger-action", (event) => {
  if (event.action.id === "zoom-to") {
    view.goTo(event.item.layer.fullExtent);
  }
});

view.ui.add(layerList, "top-right");

BasemapGallery

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-basemap-gallery slot="top-right"></arcgis-basemap-gallery>

// Core API
import BasemapGallery from "@arcgis/core/widgets/BasemapGallery.js";

const basemapGallery = new BasemapGallery({
  view: view
});

view.ui.add(basemapGallery, "top-right");

Search

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-search slot="top-right"></arcgis-search>

// Core API with custom sources
import Search from "@arcgis/core/widgets/Search.js";

const search = new Search({
  view: view,
  sources: [{
    layer: featureLayer,
    searchFields: ["name", "address"],
    displayField: "name",
    exactMatch: false,
    outFields: ["*"],
    name: "My Layer",
    placeholder: "Search features"
  }]
});

view.ui.add(search, "top-right");

// Events
search.on("select-result", (event) => {
  console.log("Selected:", event.result);
});

FeatureTable

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-feature-table reference-element="arcgis-map"></arcgis-feature-table>

// Core API
import FeatureTable from "@arcgis/core/widgets/FeatureTable.js";

const featureTable = new FeatureTable({
  view: view,
  layer: featureLayer,
  container: "tableDiv",
  visibleElements: {
    header: true,
    columnMenus: true,
    selectionColumn: true
  },
  fieldConfigs: [
    { name: "name", label: "Name" },
    { name: "population", label: "Population" }
  ]
});

// Selection events
featureTable.on("selection-change", (event) => {
  console.log("Selected rows:", event.added);
});

TimeSlider

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-time-slider
  slot="bottom-right"
  layout="auto"
  mode="time-window"
  time-visible
  loop>
</arcgis-time-slider>

<script type="module">
  const timeSlider = document.querySelector("arcgis-time-slider");
  await layer.load();

  timeSlider.fullTimeExtent = layer.timeInfo.fullTimeExtent;
  timeSlider.stops = {
    interval: layer.timeInfo.interval
  };
</script>

// Core API
import TimeSlider from "@arcgis/core/widgets/TimeSlider.js";

const timeSlider = new TimeSlider({
  view: view,
  mode: "time-window", // instant, time-window, cumulative-from-start, cumulative-from-end
  fullTimeExtent: layer.timeInfo.fullTimeExtent,
  stops: {
    interval: {
      value: 1,
      unit: "hours"
    }
  },
  playRate: 1000, // ms between stops
  loop: true
});

view.ui.add(timeSlider, "bottom-right");

// Events
timeSlider.watch("timeExtent", (timeExtent) => {
  console.log("Time changed:", timeExtent.start, timeExtent.end);
});

Print

<!-- Map Component -->
<arcgis-print slot="top-right"></arcgis-print>

// Core API
import Print from "@arcgis/core/widgets/Print.js";

const print = new Print({
  view: view,
  printServiceUrl: "https://utility.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/rest/services/Utilities/PrintingTools/GPServer/Export%20Web%20Map%20Task"
});

view.ui.add(print, "top-right");

Calcite Design System Integration

Basic Layout with Calcite

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script type="module" src="https://js.arcgis.com/calcite-components/3.3.3/calcite.esm.js"></script>
  <script src="https://js.arcgis.com/4.34/"></script>
  <script type="module" src="https://js.arcgis.com/4.34/map-components/"></script>
  <style>
    html, body { height: 100%; margin: 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body class="calcite-mode-light">
  <calcite-shell>
    <!-- Header -->
    <calcite-navigation slot="header">
      <calcite-navigation-logo slot="logo" heading="My Map App"></calcite-navigation-logo>
    </calcite-navigation>

    <!-- Side Panel -->
    <calcite-shell-panel slot="panel-start">
      <calcite-panel heading="Layers">
        <arcgis-layer-list reference-element="map"></arcgis-layer-list>
      </calcite-panel>
    </calcite-shell-panel>

    <!-- Map -->
    <arcgis-map id="map" basemap="streets-vector">
      <arcgis-zoom slot="top-left"></arcgis-zoom>
    </arcgis-map>

    <!-- End Panel -->
    <calcite-shell-panel slot="panel-end">
      <calcite-panel heading="Legend">
        <arcgis-legend reference-element="map"></arcgis-legend>
      </calcite-panel>
    </calcite-shell-panel>
  </calcite-shell>
</body>
</html>

Calcite Action Bar

<calcite-shell>
  <calcite-shell-panel slot="panel-start">
    <calcite-action-bar slot="action-bar">
      <calcite-action icon="layers" text="Layers" data-panel="layers"></calcite-action>
      <calcite-action icon="legend" text="Legend" data-panel="legend"></calcite-action>
      <calcite-action icon="bookmark" text="Bookmarks" data-panel="bookmarks"></calcite-action>
    </calcite-action-bar>

    <calcite-panel id="layers" heading="Layers">
      <arcgis-layer-list reference-element="map"></arcgis-layer-list>
    </calcite-panel>

    <calcite-panel id="legend" heading="Legend" hidden>
      <arcgis-legend reference-element="map"></arcgis-legend>
    </calcite-panel>
  </calcite-shell-panel>

  <arcgis-map id="map" basemap="topo-vector"></arcgis-map>
</calcite-shell>

<script>
  // Toggle panels on action click
  document.querySelectorAll("calcite-action").forEach(action => {
    action.addEventListener("click", () => {
      const panelId = action.dataset.panel;
      document.querySelectorAll("calcite-panel").forEach(panel => {
        panel.hidden = panel.id !== panelId;
      });
    });
  });
</script>

Common Calcite Components

Theming

<!-- Light mode -->
<body class="calcite-mode-light">

<!-- Dark mode -->
<body class="calcite-mode-dark">

<!-- Custom theme colors -->
<style>
  :root {
    --calcite-color-brand: #007ac2;
    --calcite-color-brand-hover: #005a8e;
    --calcite-color-text-1: #323232;
  }
</style>

Custom Widget Placement

Manual Positioning

// Add widget at specific position
view.ui.add(widget, {
  position: "manual",
  index: 0
});

// Position with CSS
document.getElementById("myWidget").style.cssText = `
  position: absolute;
  top: 10px;
  left: 50%;
  transform: translateX(-50%);
`;

DOM Container

<div id="mapDiv" style="position: relative;">
  <div id="customWidget" style="position: absolute; top: 10px; right: 10px; z-index: 1;">
    <!-- Custom content -->
  </div>
</div>

Widget Events

// Search select
search.on("select-result", (event) => {
  console.log(event.result);
});

// LayerList trigger action
layerList.on("trigger-action", (event) => {
  console.log(event.action, event.item);
});

// TimeSlider time change
timeSlider.watch("timeExtent", (value) => {
  console.log(value.start, value.end);
});

// FeatureTable selection
featureTable.on("selection-change", (event) => {
  console.log(event.added, event.removed);
});

TypeScript Usage

Widget configurations use autocasting with type properties. For TypeScript safety, use as const:

// Use 'as const' for widget configurations
const layerList = new LayerList({
  view: view,
  listItemCreatedFunction: (event) => {
    const item = event.item;
    item.actionsSections = [[{
      title: "Zoom to layer",
      icon: "zoom-to-object",
      id: "zoom-to"
    }]];
  }
});

// For layer configurations in widgets
const featureTable = new FeatureTable({
  view: view,
  layer: featureLayer,
  fieldConfigs: [
    { name: "name", label: "Name" },
    { name: "population", label: "Population" }
  ]
});

Tip: See arcgis-core-maps skill for detailed guidance on autocasting vs explicit classes.

Common Pitfalls

1. Missing reference-element: When placing components outside the map, use reference-element attribute

2. Slot names are specific: Use exact slot names (top-left, not topleft)

3. Calcite CSS not loading: Ensure Calcite script is loaded before using Calcite components

4. Widget container conflicts: Don't add the same widget to both a container and view.ui

5. Dark/light mode mismatch: Add calcite-mode-light or calcite-mode-dark class to body