Working with the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder Esri Canada User Conference St. John s November 15, 2012 Presented By: Greg Yetman gyetman@esri.ca
Agenda This seminar is designed to help you understand: 1) ArcGIS Viewer for Flex overview 2) Creating a web application with Application Builder 3) Configure and extend the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex
1) ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Overview
ArcGIS 10: A complete system Easier, more powerful, and everywhere Mobile Web Discover Create Manage Visualize Analyze Collaborate Cloud Enterprise Local Desktop
ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs Esri offers ArcGIS API for JavaScript ArcGIS API for Flex ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight Provides a comprehensive framework for creating GIS enabled Web mapping applications Work with ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online services Primarily geared towards developers
Web map design pattern Operational layers display on top of basemaps Operational layers Information overlays that end users interact with Contain dynamic data Basemaps Geographic frame of reference Contain static data Operational layers + Basemaps Common design pattern
ArcGIS Server: Web protocols Support industry standards GIS services can be accessed via Representational State Transfer (REST) Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Keyhole Markup Language (KML) Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Internet REST SOAP KML OGC
Services Directory ArcGIS Services Directory exposes REST API REST http://localhost/arcgis/rest/services
ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Configurable, ready-to-deploy WYSIWYG Web client Built with ArcGIS API for Flex Quickly and easily create and implement mapping applications Complete set of core GIS tools and functionality No programming required
ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Two methods to build an application Configurable Viewer Download a deployable viewer Manually edit configuration files Application Builder Install a program Use a wizard-driven user interface to build and modify a viewer
Configurable Viewer Title Subtitle Logo Widget tray Map Switcher widget Navigation widget Scalebar
Configurable Viewer Open widget (from Widget tray) Overview Map widget
Resource Center Download software, documentation, widgets, samples, user forums http://links.esri.com/flexviewer
Demonstration 1 Explore a deployed Web application
Review and Questions Explore a deployed Web application
2) Creating Web Applications with Application Builder
Application Builder Provides GUI user experience to configure and deploy the Viewer Built on Adobe AIR technology Interactively configure: Data Content Functionality Appearance
Start with Application Builder Download and run the installer Initial page manages your applications
Application Builder: Tabs Five control tabs Define functionality and look and feel Non-linear workflow Maps tab Widgets tab Layout tab Design tab Preview tab
Application Builder: Maps tab Maps tab Specify data content ArcGIS.com Web Maps or Basemaps & Operational Layers
Widgets Viewer application functionality defined by widgets Many core widgets included Each widget is configurable No programming required Use a select group of widgets to create custom Web clients that address specific business workflows Build focused Web mapping applications Lego-like approach to client development Application Builder manage using Widgets tab
Core functional widgets Bookmark Data Extract Draw Edit GeoRSS Layer List Locate Print Query Search Time Slider Geoprocessing
Core UI widgets Header controller Map switcher Navigation Overview map
Core UI widgets Coordinates Legend Splash screen Chart
Demonstration 2 Build a new ArcGIS Viewer for Flex using the Application Builder
Review and Questions Build a new ArcGIS Viewer for Flex using the Application Builder
3) Configure and extend the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex
ArcGIS Viewer for Flex: Users 1. Novice Web application creators Use Application Builder to build and deploy the viewer > GIS Analysts, Managers 2. Configurators Advanced Viewer configuration Leverage existing widgets > GIS Analysts, Web Site Designers, Managers 3. Developers Extend Viewer functionality > Business Partners, Web Site Developers, Flex API developers
Configure the Viewer Advanced customization by editing the Viewer configuration file General properties UI elements Map properties Spatial extent Data content Edit config.xml file Appearance Functionality Data content Widget container Widgets
Configure viewer widgets Widgets modular functionality XML configuration file Compiled Flash (.swf) file Customize widget by editing its configuration file Edit BookmarkWidget.xml file
Developing the Viewer Requirements Adobe Flex SDK 4.x Flash Player 10.0 IDE (Flash Builder 4) ArcGIS API for Flex Application and widget source code available Common patterns Change behavior of existing widgets Create new widgets Extend Viewer application Flash Player Flash Builder
Demonstration 3 Modify the viewer configuration file Extend application functionality with widgets
Summary In this Web Seminar you learned about... Configurable ready-to-deploy Web client > Complete set of core GIS tools and functionality Interactively create Web applications Configurable Viewer modify configuration files Application Builder WYSIWYG experience Simple customizations by editing configuration files Can be further extended with ArcGIS API for Flex
Thank You If you have any additional questions about the content presented to you, feel free to contact me: Greg Yetman gyetman@esri.ca