July 2024, esri retired webapp builder,
How many us government agency invest on webapp builder ?
multiple thousands of government agency did that.
potentially lose billions $$$ of tax payer's money as of today.
Will esri announce experience builder retirement in the coming years?
Of course, they will, they called it software life cycle !
At that time another billions $$$ of tax payer's money lost under the sea.
I am confused, is this the way how esri worth 8 billion $$$ today???
How are you going to survive from esri's so called software life cycle ?
Step 1.
I only talk about build in version of off the shelf product like webapp builder, experience builder, story map.
For developer version of webapp builder, experience builder, it is obviously will stop working after 6 months, sooner or later after you upgrade arcgis enterprise portal. Not upgrade is not option. No one use iphone x in 2025 while you should use iphone 16. For details see here
Your million $$$ shopping guide on different map api product
build-in version experience builder should be safe for 2-3 years at least, the reason is build-in version do not allow you insert custom widget. When esri update arcgis enterprise portal folder , they will also update build-in version experience builder folder which is inside of it. No custom widget, means esri fully control and maintain all source code of build-in experience builder.
The build-in version of experience builder source code is inside of enterprise portal installation folder. When you upgrade enterprise portal, windows installer will overwrite new files into portal installation folder, obviously experience builder folder inside of it will also get overwrited by newer files.
I don't know how much it cost, but it sounds like a multi-million $$$, multi-years project.
https://www.streamnet.org/home/data-maps/
Step 2.
In theory, build-in version should be good for ever.
Until I saw this sample. It self-speaking NOT forever for sure.
https://psmfc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3be91b0a32a9488a901c3885bbfc2b0b
Domain name running on official esri's arcgis.com,
xxx.maps.arcgis.com tells you this is build-in version not a developer version
Step 3.
arcgis js api v3.46 tells you this is webapp builder (v3.4x), if experience builder (v4.3x).
v3.46 is last release version in 2024 Feb. July 2024 v3.x is completely retired.
Always runing on latest version v3.46, v4.33(experience builder) tells you this is NOT a developer version.
It must be build-in version, developer version usually runing on older version v3.2x (web appbuilder) and v4.2x( experience builder)
Step 4.
what is risk of use v3.46
https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/js-api-arcgis/developers/arcgis-api-for-javascript-version-3-x-retirement
Step 5.
Now is mid 2025. Q1 2026 not yet coming, it already broken? Come on ESRI, what are you doing?
https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/web-appbuilder/announcements/arcgis-web-appbuilder-roadmap-for-retirement
Step 6.
can you fix this issue? no. because the missing icon file path tells you it is on arcgis.com, esri intend to remove it for whatever reason. You can not restore them because you don't have access to esri's server.
Step 7.
will more functions broken in 2026, 2027 ?
It is out of your control, it is up to ESRI. If esri don't delete anything on their server, v3.46 is not going to change for ever. In theory as esri said, it should work during the grace periods. After grace period, esri may start to break down v3.46.
Build-in version of experience builder runing on arcgis.com, always use latest javascript api, now is v4.33. v4.33 have break through change from v4.32. Because of widget to component transition.
Even without custom widget, developer edition of experienc builder is widget based older than v4.33 will not be posible to convert to v4.33 due to widget component transition.
With custom widget, experience builder is obviously not upgradable at all time, common sense is you insert your custom code, esri have no way to know what code you write, no way to convert for you.
While on your side, you only know what code you insert, but you don't know how esri convert to component from widget.
Therefore it is not possible for you to carry over your custom widget to newer version of experience builder. At this point, your million $$$ invest is lost under the sea.
Step 8.
Is there another big change in the future for experience builder?
Even small change in experience builder, you million $$$ will not carry over, not even mention the big change.
How are you going to survive esri's constant api change ?
Invest on parts ( lower level api, arcgis javascript SDK, lower level api is less likely to change, even it change, you can fix the problem instantly. )
You should invest on engine, transmission, frame, and build your own custom car instead of invest on a build-out car.
If the new engine released, you just replace the engine, without touch anything else.
So you can control your car's life cycle. You bought a build-out car, it is ESRI control your car's life cycle.
Now esri says, your car is retired, you have to recycle it, you have no choice.
I use JS SDK, invest on parts, I always upgrade to the latest now is v4.33 from v4.0x, most of time, no code change needed.
Even some time like v4.32 to v4.33, layer view query broken, I simple fix it according the api change document.
My website do not have retire such thing, because I always upgrade to latest version at all time.
If you use my tools to look at this project's arcgis server's REST api endpoint, all the gis layers in this project is clearly list here
https://transparentgov.net/json2tree/esri/server/folder2.html?org=https%3A%2F%2Fgis.psmfc.org%2Fserver%2Frest%2Fservices&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgis.psmfc.org%2Fserver%2Frest%2Fservices&select_folder=38&select_layer=3&arcgis_online_token=&select_folder_text=Fish_Distribution+%3Csup%3EMapServer%3C%2Fsup%3E&select_layer_text=3+%26%23x21E2%3B+Coho+Salmon+%3Csup%3EFeature+Layer%3Csub%3E+esriGeometryPolyline%3C%2Fsub%3E%3C%2Fsup%3E
Step 9.
All esri based model using latest v4.33 api, default use google map as background map. Because google map has most and best POI, every user has google map installed on their iphone, so they most familiar google map. You can change to esri base map, or microsoft by click it
coho salmon, model # 6121
https://transparentgov.net/json2tree/gateway/feature-layer/click-feature.html?backgroundlayerurl=https%3A%2F%2Fgis.psmfc.org%2Fserver%2Frest%2Fservices%2FStreamNet%2FFish_Distribution%2FMapServer%2F3&_center_lat=46.29240292040923&_center_long=-120.11069978598857&_center_zoom=14&panto=0&layer=Coho+Salmon
