The ArcGIS JavaScript API is a lightweight way to embed your GIS maps and tasks in Web applications. It’s easy to build and deploy applications built with this API. All you need is an ArcGIS Server available whose maps and tools you can use in your application.
Why JavaScript?
JavaScript is a language you can use to increase the interactivity of your web pages. JavaScript runs inside your browser immediately when something happens on the page, such as when someone clicks a button or pans a map. You don’t have to wait for something to happen on the server, and the whole page does not blink or refresh. For this reason, JavaScript is an excellent choice for embedding maps in your applications.
You don’t have to download or install anything in order to program with JavaScript. All web browsers know how to interpret it. In many cases, the JavaScript code can be embedded directly into the HTML page.
JavaScript is accessible to beginning programmers. Even if you haven’t programmed with JavaScript before, you can learn how to build JavaScript applications by cutting and pasting example code into your HTML pages. In many cases, the example may be just what you need with only minor adjustments.
What can you do with the ArcGIS JavaScript API?
You can use the ArcGIS JavaScript API to bring maps and tasks from ArcGIS Server into your web applications. For example, you can:
* Display an interactive map of your own data
* Execute a GIS model on the server and display the results
* Display your data on an ArcGIS Online base map
* Search for features or attributes in your GIS data and display the results
* Search for addresses and display the results
You can use the ArcGIS JavaScript API to access information from several different servers in one application. One common reason you might do this is to display some of your own information on top of a base map from ArcGIS Online or from other web sources. In another scenario, you might use a model on one server and display the results on a map from a different server. This combination of information from multiple web sources is sometimes called a “mashup”.
Remember that you don’t need to have ArcGIS Server installed on your machine in order to program with the ArcGIS JavaScript API. You just need to have an ArcGIS Server available that you can access through a URL. ESRI has provided several sample servers that you can use as you practice writing JavaScript applications. The samples in this help system use the sample servers.
What does the ArcGIS JavaScript API include?
The ArcGIS JavaScript API provides the following resources for you to use in your web applications
* Maps – The API supports display of both dynamic and cached (tiled) map services from ArcGIS Server. With the ArcGIS JavaScript API, you can display maps in any projection.
* Graphics – You can enhance your web applications by allowing users to draw graphics or by providing informational popup windows when the user clicks or hovers the mouse over a graphics feature on the map.
* Tasks – The API includes classes and methods for common GIS tasks:
o Querying
o Finding addresses
o Finding attributes
o Identifying features
o Geoprocessing
* Access to Dojo and other libraries
