Simple Layer List from the ArcGIS Server Using the JavaScript API

Jason Harris of ROK Technologies describes how easy it is to work with the new ESRI ArcGIS JavaScript API.

I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth has been these past couple of months. I have been yapping about how easy the new ArcGIS javascript api is to work with, so I thought I’d share a very simple example.

The ease and speed of developing with the JavaScript/REST API at 9.3 will probably pull many developers back into ESRI who have left over the WebADF. I predicted that we’d see many ArcIMS developers finally move off of working with those wacky AXL XML files and to a very RESTful process.

Even Indiana Gilles likes what ESRI has done! Careful when you grab it though, rocks may still fall on your head…

Indiana EsriIndiana Esri

Speaking of AXL being a PITA, ESRIs REST[ful] API uses JSON which in my humble opinion is enough reason to switch off of ArcIMS, I noticed today that Safe Software is now supporting GeoJSON 1.0 in FME. ESRI isn’t supporting GeoJSON with ArcGIS Server, but maybe they will in the future. JSON with ArcGIS Server REST[ful] API is a least a step in the right direction.


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Date
July 16, 2008