Google has a new tool that helps developers learn and test code for Google’s JavaScript APIs (similar to Microsoft’s VE Interactive SDK). The interactive AJAX APIs Playgound has an easy interface that allows users to interact with Google’s JavaScript APIs (Visualization, Search, Language, Blogger, Libraries, Maps, Earth, Feeds, and Calendar). Google also open sourced the API playgound so maybe we’ll be seeing more of it with other APIs in the near future (cough ESRI JavaScript API cough).
So the ESRI Business Partner Conference and the Developer Summit is coming up and that means that ESRI will be showing the latest releases of their software. In preparation of the DevSummit, ESRI has published new features of ArcGIS 9.3.1. I’m interested to see the faster rendering and map optimization. One thing that did catch my eye:
Upgrading to ArcGIS 9.3.1 does not require uninstalling ArcGIS 9.3.
That should speed the upgrade times up from hours to minutes. Expect 9.1.1?9.3.1 second quarter (April, May, June) 2009.
Users not wanting to use WGS84? Inconceivable!
So you’ve downloaded the JavaScript Sample Viewer from ESRI and want to use it with your own services? Well make sure those basemap services are WGS84 because they won’t show up otherwise. You aren’t losing your mind when you see nothing in the viewer, just republish them as WGS84.
It would probably be a good idea for ESRI to update their docs to reflect this.
Update: Jithen, unlike me, wasn’t happy about having to use WGS84 and he has figured out a way to get it to work.
ESRI has released a sample JavaScript viewer example with a developer’s guide to help you better understand how the JavaScript API works. It looks great (much like the Flex API) and does a darn good job having cross platform compatibility. As I said the Developer’s Guide is a great resource for those looking for an introduction to the JavaScript API, Dojo, Aptana Sudio, and what it takes to develop ArcGIS Server JavaScript applications.
Better get those MapQuest web mapping applications converted over soon!
The MapQuest OpenAPI product servers will go offline on?Saturday, January 31st, 2009. Applications not migrated off of the MapQuest OpenAPI product will?stop working?after this date.
Please don’t be that guy (or gal) who procrastinates and then winds up with the broken app in production.
Just the other day we were wondering over the RSP Architects coffee machine about if GeoCommons would ever have an API. Rather than actually ask Sean if there was one in the works, it is of course easier to forget about the conversion and wait for Sean to blog about it himself. What I assume is one of the first GeoCommons API (this example is running on Amazon’s EC2) applications out there, Navigating Washington which allows real time poll mapping in your browser or even a Blackberry or iPhone (no Windows Mobile device because no one uses those anymore). I find the application very interesting and integration with mobile devices is a smart idea. I’m anxious to see what Sean has planned with the API and how we can use it.
What can’t maps do for you these days?
This PDF has been traveling the email circuit for a couple weeks, but it seems to have been posted online (or at least I’ve finally found a link to it).
A Proposal for National Economic Recovery
An Investment in Geospatial Information Infrastructure
Building a National GIS
Jack Dangermond, ESRI
Anne Hale Miglarese, Booz Allen Hamilton
Salvation will be delivered with SOA!
Today Safe Software released FME 2009. I’ve was unable to take the 2009 beta for a spin (being busy is a good thing these days), but there are three new formats supported that really have me excited; CityGML 1.0, Adobe Geospatial PDF and OpenStreetMap XML (come to think of it Autodesk 3ds support might come in handy at the old architecture studio). Plus the 20% performance increase over FME 2008 will be a welcome change of pace from software that gets slower as it “improves”. The improved user interface of Workbench should increase usability for those who are used to other geoprocessing software packages. Safe has a “What’s Great” brochure available that outlines the improvements in more detail.
You too can get your own tile cache running.
Looks like an interesting project. If TileCache has been trouble for you to get working right, PHPGeoTiles?might be something to keep an eye on. Already there is support for the ArcGIS REST API to Google App Engine.
Brian Flood comes up from the basement to give a glimpse of what has been happening in Arc2Earth land. Arc2Earth Cloud Services is looking really amazing and it is clear Brian has put much effort into it.