Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex

GEOG677 – Internet GIS

University of Maryland at College Park

Lab Assignment 6 – Flex API Due Date: 01/31/2014 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. 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 (e.g. 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. With the ArcGIS API for Flex, users can develop custom applications by integrating ArcGIS Server maps and web services inside Adobe Flash Builder. 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 3.6 - https://developers.arcgis.com/flex/ which works great with the Adobe Flex SDK 4.6 or later.

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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. The most popular Flex development environment is Adobe Flash Builder. The ArcGIS API for Flex is compatible with all versions of Flash Builder 4.6 and later. The latest version is 4.7. You can download and install either one although I prefer 4.7.  V4.6: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/thankyou.jsp?ftpID=5517&file ID=5536  V4.7: http://www.adobe.com/products/flash-builder.html (Click on “Try” next to the “Buy” button.) b. Flash Builder is not free, but the trial version is free to use for 60 days. c. The download needs login. 2. Download and unzip the ArcGIS API 3.6 for Flex file. a. http://links.esri.com/flex-api/latest-download 3. Using Flash Builder to create a Web application 4. Copy/paste/modify the sample codes from ESRI Web site a. https://developers.arcgis.com/flex/sample-code/using-samples.htm 5. Compile the code 6. Test/modify the code 7. Export release build 8. Publish the Web application to a server such as TerpConnect.

Note:  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://www.iis.net/learn/install/installing-iis-7/installing-iison-windows-vista-and-windows-7

For more information about how to work with the ArcGIS API 3.6 for Flex, visit https://developers.arcgis.com/flex/guide/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. Then, you will create your own application. (If you are already familiar with ArcGIS API for Flex, you can jump to the end of this section to look for the requirements/tasks for this exercise.) The example http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/W2013/Flex//API_for_Flex/Flex_API_demo_2013 .html

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Step 1: Downloading, Installing, and Configuring Flash Builder First, download Adobe Flash Builder 4.6 or 4.7. 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 harddrive (~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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Step 2: Downloading ArcGIS API 3.6 for Flex Zip File First, go to this Web site - http://links.esri.com/flex-api/latest-download to download ArcGIS API 3.6 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_3_6\ArcGIS_Flex\libs) 4



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 4.

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Notice that I am using the cached (tiled) map service layer. It must match with the specific ArcGIS API for Flex compnant that you are using. You can use the other component ArcGISTiledMapServiceLayer if you replace the map service layer with an un-cached one.

The code is in XML format. Tag defines a map display component, in which Esri is a namespace. Now, you can click Run button to “preview” the result displayed in a Web browser. If there is no error, you should be able to see the result. Note:  Depending on the programs installed on your computer, you may be required to install the latest Flash Player. 6



For now, 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 sampleshttps://developers.arcgis.com/flex/sample-code/using-samples.htm All of these samples include a live application and also the source code. You can copy/paste the code into your project in Flash Builder. You can make necessary changes to customize it. Then, you will compile the code to create your own application. There are many things that you can customize the sample source code:  Adding/changing map service layer  Re-designing the layout  Adding new tools, features, tasks, or functions. For example, suppose you are interested in the sample (in “Tools” category) below:

You can copy/paste the source code to replace the code in Flash Builder environment. You can make some changes such as using your own map service.

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Now, you can cick the Run button to see how the result displays in a Web browser. Obviously, you can add more code from other samples to create a much more sophisticated and interactive Web appplication. Especially, you might want to add those common tools such as Query, Find & Identify, Locator, etc. You will need to constantly test and modify the code in order to make it work perfectly. So far, your project is still on your local computer. To make it available through the internet, you need to deploy it to a web server. 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. 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, 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 within the “bin-release” folder from your computer to a folder on the Terpconnect server. It’s always a good practice to use folders to manage different projects.

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Your tasks:  You need to create a Web GIS application using ArcGIS API 3.6 for Flex by practicing those steps described earlier. You can use these two examples as a reference even though your own application will be different – o http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/Demo_Flex/Felx_demo_quer y.html o http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/W2013/Flex//API_for_Flex/Flex_A PI_demo_2013.html  Your application should have at least two features/tools. Especially, you might want to add those common tools such as Query, Find & Identify, Geocoding, etc.  Deploy the web application by uploading 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. You can 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: Download the ArcGIS Viewer 3.6 for Flex Go to this Web site to download ArcGIS Viewer 3.6 for Flex http://links.esri.com/flex-api/latest-download Note: For this part of exercises, you will download the compiled version.

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Step 2: Unzip the file to save on your computer. Step 3: Copy the folder - “flexviewer” into this folder - "C:\inetpub\wwwroot” on your own computer. Note:  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://www.iis.net/learn/install/installing-iis-7/installingiis-on-windows-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.

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Step 4: Test the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex application  The generic URL should be something like this: http:///flexviewer/index.html  When testing on your own computer, the URL is - http://localhost/flexviewer/index.html (It should be displayed on the Web browser.)

From the default web application, you can see it has a very good layout and have some tools already. It will save a lot of time simply customizing this application to create your own. 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 widgets (features/tools). Navigate to the flexviewer folder location on your machine – “C:\inetpub\wwwroot\flexviewer”. Expand the folder to view its contents. The flexviewer folder contains:  apps folder - Various samples including localized configuration files.  assets folder - Contains resources such as icons and graphics used by the application.  widgets folder - Contains widgets used by the application.  popups folder - Configuration to show key-value styled tables display a feature's attribute information in the form of a table showing a field name with its associated value.

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     


HTML wrapper pages: default.htm and index.html (server defaults to one of them when not specifying file name). The main application file: index.swf. Localized HTML wrapper pages: index_{xx}.html. Two XML configuration files for the Viewer application: config.xml and config-all.xml. Esri license agreement document: readme.txt. Other supporting files for Flash applications: *.swz, *swfobject.js, playerProductInstall.swf.

Open the file – “config.xml” with a text editor such as Notepad. It is always a good practice to make a copy as a backup.

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Now, I started to modify and change the titles, logo, style, initial extent, operational layer, and add widgets, etc. (The changes are highlighted in yellow). Demo: ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 1/23/2014 assets/images/horse_small.png 0xFFFFFF,0x333333,0x101010,0x000000,0xFFD700 0.8

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url="widgets/GeoRSS/GeoRSSWidget.swf"/> --> --> Save the Config.xml file. Now, you also need to customize the associated widgets (.xml files), for example, Bookmarks, PopUp, and Search. For the PopUp widget, the original file name in Config is “PopUp_Fires.xml”. I did two changes: (1) I changed the file name to “PopUp_MD.xml”. (Make sure you make a copy of the original file before customizing it.) (2) Then, I customized the code within this new XML file based on my needs.

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Next, I customized the Bookmark widget. From the folder – “widgets\Bookmark”, I open the BookmarkWidget.xml file using Notepad. (Again, before doing that, you should save a copy to back up.) I modified the code by creating various map extents of my own interest.

It can be tricky and time-consuming to find out the appropriate coordinates to define the spatial extents. So, I would recommend you to use this tool from the ESRI web site. It is called Extent Helper - http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapps/flexviewer/help/index.html#//01m300000012000000 From there, you can zoom in/out and pan to different areas of your interest. Then, you can find out the coordinates that you need to customize the bookmarks. I also needed to customize the Search widget. Again, I did two changes:  I changed the widget name to “SearchWidget_MD.xml”.  Then, I customized the code within.

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To customize the code for this specific widget, you must know your data very well. You need to open the attribute table of the original data used for the map service. Then, you can decide which layer or field to create the search query. (I will not go into the details. You will need to try it yourself when you work on this assignment.)

After customizing the config.xml file and also other associated .xml files, you can save them. Then, you can try to re-load this web application: 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/ The result of customizations should look like this web application below.

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The final step is to deploy this web application on the Web server. You will upload the files to a folder on Terpconnect. Here is my example http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/W2013/Flex/API_Viewer_for_Flex/Demo_API_V iewer/

Your tasks:  You need to create a similar Web GIS application based on ArcGIS Viewer 3.6 for Flex.  You must customize at least three of these elements such as title, subtitle, logo, initial extent, and background color.  You must add at least one operational layer using your own map services.  You must customize at least two widgets. Or, you can add at least one new widget that is not shown on the default Flex Viewer.  Publish it on the Terpconnect server.  Write the URL in your lab report and also a brief description on the tools/features, map layers, etc.  Make a few screen shots to demonstrate the tools or features. Then, include the screen shots in your report.  Be creative!

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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. 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 V3.6 http://links.esri.com/flex-viewer/latest-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/

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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.  Must have “Full control” permission to the folder – “wwwroot” for IIS users. 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. 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. You will be asked to choose either using web maps or basemaps and operational layers. In our case, we will select the latter because we have our own map services. This gives us more control about what we want to do design. Then, you can start to create your web applications. The Application Builder allows you to define many settings by mostly clicking buttons.

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To design a web application, you can define or modify the following components:  Maps (The maps can be added from ArcGIS Online, any map services within ArcGIS server REST folders, or KML/CSV/GeoRSS files from Web.) o Basemaps o Operational layers o Map extent  Widgets o There are a variety of widgets that you can add. Some of them can be simply added without doing anything. However, there are some other widgets need to be further defined when being included into your web application. For example, you need to know the attributes of your data when using the widget Chart, Query, Time, etc.)  Layout o It is very easy to change the layout by turning on/off certain components.  Design o You will be able to change the logo, title, text font, and color scheme. Then, you can preview your application within the Application Builder.

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You can also preview it through a Web browser, for example, in my case http://localhost/flexviewers/Demo_Jan23_2014/ Finally, after you are satisfied with the design, you can deploy it to the Web server. You can simply upload the folder which contains all the files of your web application. It should be a folder with the same name of your application that is saved under the “c:\inetpub\wwwroot\flexviewers” . Here is my example http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jma3/GEOG677/W2013/Flex/App_Builder/Jan17_2013_demo1/ Your tasks:  You need to create a Web GIS application using ArcGIS Viewer 3.6 for Flex Application Builder.  You must use an operational layer from your own map services.  You must have at least five widgets in your web application. (Make sure everything works.)  Deploy your application on Terpconnect server.  In the lab report, write the URL with a brief descriptions of the map layers, and features/tools. Also screen shots of your Web GIS applications (include all Part I, II and III results).  Be creative! ----- THE END -----

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Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex

Part I: ArcGIS API for Flex

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