Building Web and Mobile ArcGIS Server Applications with JavaScript - Second Edition

Master the ArcGIS API for JavaScript to build web and mobile applications using this practical guide.

About This Book

• Develop ArcGIS Server applications with JavaScript, both for traditional web browsers as well as the mobile platform
• Make your maps informative with intuitive geographic layers, user interface widgets, and more
• Integrate ArcGIS content into your custom applications and perform analytics with the ArcGIS Online

Who This Book Is For

If you are a web or mobile application developer, who wants to create GIS applications in your respective platform, this book is ideal for you. You will need Java Script programming experience to get the most out of this book. Although designed as an introductory to intermediate level book, it will also be useful for more advanced developers who are new to the topic of developing applications with ArcGIS Server.

What You Will Learn

• To create an application with the ArcGIS API for JavaScript
• Build and display a broad range of different geometry types to represent features on the map
• The best way to leverage a feature layer and display related attribute data
• The functionality of the wide range of widgets and how to use them effectively
• Query data to gain new insights into the information it contains
• Work with tasks to discover and locate features on the map
• Using the geocoder and associated widgets
• The ability of the API to provide turn by turn directions and routing capabilities
• How to use the Geometry Engine and Geometry Service tasks for common geoprocessing operations
• Integrate content on ArcGIS online and add it to your custom web mapping application

In Detail

The ArcGIS API for JavaScript enables you to quickly build web and mobile mapping applications that include sophisticated GIS capabilities, yet are easy and intuitive for the user.

Aimed at both new and experienced web developers, this practical guide gives you everything you need to get started with the API. After a brief introduction to HTML/CSS/JavaScript, you'll embed maps in a web page, add the tiled, dynamic, and streaming data layers that your users will interact with, and mark up the map with graphics. You will learn how to quickly incorporate a broad range of useful user interface elements and GIS functionality to your application with minimal effort using prebuilt widgets. As the book progresses, you will discover and use the task framework to query layers with spatial and attribute criteria, search for and identify features on the map, geocode addresses, perform network analysis and routing, and add custom geoprocessing operations. Along the way, we cover exciting new features such as the client-side geometry engine, learn how to integrate content from ArcGIS.com, and use your new skills to build mobile web mapping applications.

We conclude with a look at version 4 of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript (which is being developed in parallel with version 3.x) and what it means for you as a developer.

Style and approach

Readers will be taken through a series of exercises that will demonstrate how to efficiently build ArcGIS Server applications for the mobile and web.

Eric Pimpler is the founder and owner of GeoSpatial Training Services and has over 20 years of experience in implementing and teaching GIS solutions using Esri, Google Earth/Maps, and open source technology. Currently, he focuses on ArcGIS scripting with Python and the development of custom ArcGIS Server web and mobile applications using JavaScript. He is the author of Programming ArcGIS 10.1 with Python Cookbook. Eric has a bachelor's degree in geography from Texas A&M University and a master's degree in applied geography with a specification in GIS from Texas State University.Mark Lewin has been developing, teaching, and writing about software for over 16 years. His main interest is GIS and web mapping. Working for ESRI, the world's largest GIS company, he has been a consultant, trainer and course author, and a frequent speaker at industry events. He has subsequently expanded his knowledge to include a wide variety of open source mapping technologies and a handful of relevant JavaScript frameworks, including Node.js, Dojo, and JQuery. Mark now works within Oracle's MySQL curriculum team, focusing on creating great learning experiences for DBAs and database developers, but remains crazy about web mapping.