Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex

GEOG677 – Internet GIS

University of Maryland at College Park

Lab Assignment 7 – ArcGIS Server Due Date: 02/10/2012 Overview Adobe Flex is a software development kit (SDK) released by Adobe Systems for the development and deployment of cross-platform rich Internet applications (RIA) based on the Adobe Flash platform. Flex applications can be written using Adobe Flash Builder or by using the freely available Flex compiler from Adobe. About the basics of Flex and Flash Builder, please take a video tutorial at http://learn.adobe.com/wiki/display/Flex/Getting+Started. Flex is becoming very popular in Web application development due to its superior user experience. ArcGIS API for Flex enables you to build dynamic RIAs on top of ArcGIS Server. The interactive and expressive Web applications leverage ArcGIS Server resources—such as maps, locators, feature services and geoprocessing models—and Flex components—such as grids, trees and charts. This lab assignment is designed to help you become familiar with different options for developing Web GIS applications based on Flex. Specifically, this assignment is divided into three parts:  Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex  Part II: ArcGIS Viewer for Flex  Part III: ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder

Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex The ArcGIS API for Flex is built on the Adobe Flex framework, which allows the use of rich Flex components such as data grids, trees, panels, and charts. You will be able to use maps and tasks from ArcGIS Server in your Web applications. For example:       

Display an interactive map containing your own data. Execute a GIS model on the server and display the results. Display your data on an ArcGIS Online basemap. Search for features or attributes in your GIS data and display the results. Locate addresses and display the results. Edit your data (if published as a feature service) Create mashups (information combined from multiple Web sources).

The latest version is 2.5 - http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/flex/ which is based on Flex 4 and Flash Builder 4, and works great with the Adobe Flex 4.6 (and 4.1, 4.5, 4.5.1.) SDK.

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The general steps of building a Web application of ArcGIS API for Flex include: 1. Download and install Adobe Flash Builder a. http://www.adobe.com/products/flashbuilder/ b. The current version is 4.6. c. FB is not freeware, but trial version is free for 60 days. d. The download needs login. 2. Download and unzip the ArcGIS API for Flex ZIP file. a. http://resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-flex-api-how-to-download 3. Using Flash Builder to create a Web application 4. Copy/paste/modify the sample codes from ESRI Web site a. http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/flex/samples/index.html 5. Compile the code 6. Test/modify the code 7. Export release build 8. Publish the Web application to a server For more information about how to work with the ArcGIS API for Flex, visit http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/flex/help/index.html#getting_started.htm#.

To demonstrate the specific procedures of creating an ArcGIS API for Flex, I will use an example (see below) to explain the details, especially to point out some better practices. (If you are already familiar with ArcGIS API for Flex, you can jump to the end of this section on Page #11 to look for the requirements/tasks for this exercise.) The example http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/Demo_Flex/Felx_demo_query.html

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Step 1: Downloading, Installing, and Configuring Flash Builder First, go to this Web site - http://www.adobe.com/products/flashbuilder/ to download Adobe Flash Builder 4.6. You will need to register first to be able to download. Unzip and install Flash Builder. This software will take a lot of space on the hard drive (~1.9 GB). So, make sure there is enough storage space on your computer. Once you finished the installation, you can create a new Flex project.(There are different types of projects that can be created. So, make sure you choose the right type of project.) In the New Flex Project dialog, assign your project a name and choose a folder for the project. It is a good practice that you organize your project files in a specific folder that you have created.

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For improved performance, adjust your Adobe Flash Builder settings as following:  Click Project > Properties > Flex Compiler, then uncheck the Enable integration with browser navigation check box.  Click Project > Properties > Flex Build Path > Library Path and set Framework linkage to Runtime Shared Library (RSL).

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Step 2: Downloading ArcGIS API for Flex Zip File First, go to this Web site - http://resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-flex-api-how-to-download to download ArcGIS API for Flex which is a zipped file package. Unzip the files in an appropraite folder. This file contains the ArcGIS API for Flex library (.swc), a samples directory, and a readme file. Be sure to either store the .swc file in the libs folder in your project or specify the library path in Adobe Flash Builder. To specify the path in Flash Builder, take the following steps: 1. Right-click the project and click Properties. Alternatively, on the file menu, go to Project > Properties. 2. Click Flex Build Path. 3. Click the Library Path tab. 4. Click the Add SWC button. 5. Browse to the .swc file you unzipped earlier. (This file can be found within the unzipped folder - \arcgis_api_for_flex_2_5\ArcGIS_Flex\libs)

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Step 3: Writing, Compiling, Testing, and Modifying Code Open the default mxml (named after your project) in the default package. Now, you are in the Flex environment. You can create an application by writing code to access the ArcGIS Server resources. For example, you can write the following source code to access the map service that you created in Lab 5.

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The code is in XML format. Tag defines a map display component, in which Esri is a namespace. For detailed API definitions, please refer to online reference at http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/flex/apiref/index.html. Now, you can click on the Run button to “preview” the result displayed in a Web browser. See below. Note:  Depending on the programs installed on your computer, you may be required to install the latest Flash Player.

Obviously, this Web GIS application is very simple in terms of functionality, features or tools. To improve it, you can go to the ESRI Web site to find the sampleshttp://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/flex/samples/index.html

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Suppose you are interested in the sample below:

You can copy/paste the source code to replace the code in Flash Builder environment. Note:  The map service in this new source code is different from the map service you used earlier.  In this case, you can simply copy/paste the source code without making any changes yet.

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Now, you can cick the Run button to see how the result displays in a Web browser.

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Obviously, you can add more code from other samples to create a much more complex and interactive Web appplication. Especially, you might want to add those common tools such as Query, Find & Identify, Navigation, etc. You will need to constantly test and modify the code in order to make it work perfectly.

Step 4: Deploying the Application After you have compiled and run the code, a bin-debug folder will be generated within your project folder. The HTML file generated by Flash Builder is ready to display your flex app in browser. However, it is in debug version. To optimize the deployment, you need to take more steps below. For more information, you can refer to this link: http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/flex/help/index.html#deploy_application.htm# Now, you're ready to deploy an application, use the Adobe Flex Export Release Build process to create an optimized release-quality version of the SWF file as following: 1. In Flash Builder 4, click Project > Export Release Build from the main menu. 2. Click Finish.

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Step 5: Publishing to the Web Server The last step will be to upload the files to the Web server and publish the Web application. You can use WinSCP to upload the files from the “bin-release” folder to a folder on the Terpconnect server.

Your tasks: 

  

You need to create a Web GIS application using ArcGIS API for Flex by practicing those steps described earlier. You can use this example as a reference even though your own application will be different http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/Demo_Flex/Felx_demo_query.html Your application should have at least two features/tools. Especially, you might want to add those common tools such as Query, Find & Identify, Navigation, Geocoding, etc. Again, you can refer to the example above. You can upload the files to Terpconnect server. Be creative!

Part II: ArcGIS Viewer for Flex The ArcGIS Viewer for Flex is a ready-to-deploy configurable client application built with the ArcGIS API for Flex. Essentially it is a template for ArcGIS API for Flex. The idea to reduce as much programming as possible so that users can develop great Flex applications without involving much coding. It is designed so users can configure and deploy a web mapping application easily and quickly. However, you can also extend its functionality with custom widgets available from the Esri community, or create custom widgets yourself with the ArcGIS API for Flex. The ArcGIS Viewer for Flex is ideal if you want more control over the look and feel of your application. It is also a good solution if you want to host your own Web mapping applications.

The general steps of using ArcGIS Viewer for Flex include: Step 1: Downloading Go to this Web site to download ArcGIS Viewer for Flex V2.5 http://resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-flex-viewer-download Step 2: Unzipping

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Step 3: Copying the folder - “flexviewer” into this folder - "C:\inetpub\wwwroot” on your own computer. Note:  Don’t perform this task on the Hyperion server because I have already saved the folder there.  Depending on the configurations on your computer, you may need to enable Internet Information Services (IIS) on your computer or the Web server  Guide on how to install IIS: http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/28/installing-iis-onwindows-vista-and-windows-7/ When trying to save a file under C:\inetpub\wwwroot, you might get the following error, especially on Windows 7 and Windows Vista: "You don't have permissions to save in this folder". This happens even though you are an administrator on the machine. This is due to increased access control (aka UAC or User Access/Account Control) on Windows 7 (and Vista) when trying to save files in protected folders (like C:\inetpub\wwwroot).   

Right-click on the folder and select Permissions. Go to the Security tab. Note that Users have only read rights. Change this to Full access and then the warning message will disappear.

Step 4: Testing the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex application  The generic URL should be something like this: http:///flexviewer/index.html  Example: http://129.2.24.163/flexviewer/index.html  When testing on your own computer, the URL is - http://localhost/flexviewer/index.html

Step 5: Configuring the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex This step is the most important part. This is where you need to modify or customize the default ArcGIS Viewer for Flex. For example, you can use your own map services or add new features/tools. Navigate to the flexviewer folder location on your machine – “C:\inetpub\wwwroot\flexviewer”. Expand the folder to view its contents. Open the file – “config.xml” in a text editor such as Notepad. Now, you modify and change the titles, logo, style, initial extent, operational layer, and add a widget, etc. For more details, you may refer to this Web page http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapps/flexviewer/help/01m3/01m300000021000000.htm

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To illustrate how to configure and modify the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex, I will use this example http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/Waste2Energy/ First, based on the default configure file, I will customize the title, logo, etc. Notice that I also customized the operational layer using my own map service. See the codes highlighted in yellow color. Then, I will select a group of Widgets that fit my project’s specific needs. See the source code below. /License.txt // // Read more about ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.2 - http://links.esri.com/flexviewer // //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --> Turning Waste into Energy in New York State a spatial decision support system assets/images/logo.png 0xCEE7F4,0x39628C,0x355D89,0x294867,0xCEE7F4 0.8

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Note:  It is a good practice to save a copy of the original config file as a backup. 15



Every time you make modification to this config file, make sure you save it. Then, I need to configure those widgets. For example, I will find the config file for the widget – Bookmark from this folder – “\Flex_Viewer\Waste2Energy\widgets\Bookmark”.

Note:  If you are working from your computer, it is likely the path will be – “C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Flex_Viewer\widgets\Bookmark”. It may vary depending on whether you have created extra folders for your project or not. To learn more about the Bookmark widget, go to this link http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapps/flexviewer/help/index.html#/Bookmark_widget_tags/01m300 00000m000000/GUID-7BE52CDD-C9CB-435C-BC07-B4DD00E326CF/

The original config file for the Bookmark widget is like this: -13934000 2699500 -8034300 6710900 -13638000 4541000 -13632000 4551000 -9559973 4601704 -9529513 4621654 -13211400 3993400 -13119200 4056100 13917200 3452300 16908700 5477600 -1039800 4665500 -993700 4696800 -8732266 -8111526 -6810170 -1859588

If your operational layer is one of your map services, obviously those bookmarks in the original code do not make sense. You will need to create your own bookmarks for those extents or scales of your interest.

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So, you will need to do some test in the map document when opened in ArcMap by zoon-in and –out to different scales. Write down those appropriate extents (coordinates of the corners). Then, I replaced the source code with my own bookmarks. See below. -13934000 2699500 -8034300 6710900 -9079000 5054000 -7816000 5720000 -8870000 5176000 -8554000 5343000 -8675000 5175000 -8359000 5341000 -8608000 5233000 -7977000 5566000 -8551300 5204800 -8472300 5246400 -8515170 5227620 -8512710 5228920

Save the config file. Now, test the result using this URL - http://localhost/flexviewer/index.html Note:  It is likely the map does not show any update even after you refresh the Web browser. This may be caused by the memory cache.  You can clear or remove the cache by clearing recent history from the Web browser. This step will vary depending on which Web browser you are using. You can refer to this link for help - http://www.refreshyourcache.com/en/home/

Your tasks:       

You need to create a Web GIS application based on ArcGIS Viewer for Flex. You must customize at least two of these elements such as title, subtitle, logo, initial extent, and background color. You must add an operational layer using your own map service. You must customize at least one widget. Or, you can add new widget that is not shown on the default Flex Viewer. You can upload the files to Terpconnect server. Refer to this demo as the example - http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/Waste2Energy/ Make sure everything works. 17



Part III: ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder The ArcGIS API for Flex Application Builder allows users to create new Web mapping applications and also view/modify existing applications. You can easily configure and deploy a new web mapping application without programming or configuration file editing. It has been designed to be user friendly and makes the process of creating and deploying a new Flex-based web application very easy. In the application builder, you specify the data content, functionality, and look and feel of the web app, then deploy it. This is an example - http://129.2.24.163/flexviewers/Feb1_demo/ The general steps of using ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder: Step 1: Downloading Go to this Web site to download ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder V2.5 http://resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-flex-viewer-download The application builder requires Adobe AIR which can be installed from Adobe AIR download page - http://get.adobe.com/air/ . So, if you don’t have it on your computer, you will need to download and install it. Normally, you should have already had Adobe AIR installed if you have installed Flex Viewer. Step 2: Installing Step 3: Configuring The first time the application builder is run, it requires two parameters to be set:  

Web Server Base Folder o The installation location of the Viewer software. Default value for Windows is C:\inetpub\wwwroot\flexviewers. Web Server Base Folder URL o The URL base address to access your viewer applications in a web browser. Default value for Windows is http://localhost/flexviewers/

Note:  It is important that you write the file path exactly as shown below. A typical mistake is that you might write the folder – “flexviewers” as “flexviwer”. The latter is for ArcGIS Viewer for Flex. So, don’t get confused. Click the Save button to save your settings. Next the Application List panel appears and shows all the applications associated with the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex application builder. Since this is the first time running the application, no applications have been created.

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Click the Create a New application button to start the process. First, you will need to specify a name for your new application. Notice that the Application URL address parameter autocompletes to match the application name.

The rest is very straight forward. You should be able to easily figure out how to do it. You can also refer to my Lecture on 2/1/2012 when I did a demonstration about Flex Viewer Application Builder.

Your tasks:       

You need to create a Web GIS application using ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder. You must use an operational layer from your own map services. Refer to this demo as the example - http://129.2.24.163/flexviewers/Feb1_demo/ You can upload the files to Terpconnect server. Make sure everything works. Create a Word document with the URLs and also screen shots of your Web GIS applications (include all Part I, II and III results). Be creative!

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Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex

Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex

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