Simple SilverlightPresented by: Scott Bateman

Quorum Business SolutionsOctober 25, 2011

Overview Introduction

The opportunity

Current technology

Planning for success

Development strategies

The maintenance problem

Conclusions

Introduction Provide guidance around developing a custom Silverlight web

map

Discuss lessons learned from building and maintaining web mapping applications

Suggest pragmatic and iterative approach

Many detailed step-by-step guides already exist online

Created for organizations looking to develop their first Silverlight web map using ArcGIS API

The Opportunity Maps and spatial information are widely available

Search engine maps GPS navigation Smart phones

Users want a more tangible presentation of data

Performance expectations are high Google Maps set the bar

New Esri web APIs and cached base maps provide a rich user experience with quick response times

Current Technology Representational State Transfer (REST)

Service-based location of resources using HTTP No “state” from one request to the next Allows for server caching for improved performance Embraced by ArcGIS map services

Silverlight Microsoft platform for media rich applications Rich controls with customizable styles Browser plug-in provides content over the web

- Client side processing and caching Powered by .NET framework

Current Technology

Physical architecture Database server

- Spatial data ArcGIS server

- Map services- Cached tiles

Web server- Silverlight app

User- Client blending

Planning for Success Spend the time necessary to identify requirements

Get comprehensive feature wish list from users Prioritize by impact value

Narrow down list of features for version 1 Focus on the most important functionality Fewer features simplifies the effort

- Limits development, testing and training- Features can be iteratively added later

3-5 features is a good rule of thumb

Planning for Success

Correlate to existing Esri features Use ArcGIS Resource Center samples Some features may already be developed by Esri

- Many, many samples in the gallery

Review design of final list with end users Solidify functional and technical design

Identify security requirements Secure at the map service

Demonstration

REST map service directory http://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services

Silverlight sample gallery http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/samples/start.htm Mapping – show mouse coordinates Query – spatial query Geoprocessing – drive times

Development environment Visual Studio Esri Standard Map Application

Development Strategies GIS knowledge is just as important as web

development knowledge

Development environment Visual Studio or Web Developer Express

Confirm compatibility of software versions Visual Studio (2010) Esri ArcGIS server (10.0) Silverlight (4.0) Microsoft .NET (4.0) ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/WPF (2.1)

Development Strategies

Start with Esri Visual Studio templates Saves days of development time Implements architectural best practices

Map control provides out-of-the-box functionality Mouse pan and zoom navigation Shift + draw box to zoom in Etc.

Add in your version 1 custom features The more code you write, the more you have to maintain

The Maintenance Problem With every opportunity comes a cost The largest cost of the software lifecycle occurs after the

initial development and implementation Studies show this can be 90% of total cost

Platform upgrades Windows Microsoft .NET Silverlight Esri Third-party controls

Complex software is more difficult to maintain

Conclusion

Start small and grow incrementally User feedback should be factored into each release

Focus on features that add the most value

Resist the desire to add “cool” features that do not address an identified user need Cool does not equal useful Just because they are easy to add does not mean

they will be easy to maintain

Resources Esri ArcGIS Resource Center Help

http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/help/index.html- Installation- Getting started

Esri ArcGIS Resource Center Silverlight samples http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/samples/start.htm

Esri ArcGIS Silverlight/WPF blog http://blogs.esri.com/Dev/blogs/silverlightwpf/

GIS tutorials for ArcGIS Silverlight http://gistutorials.com/category/arcgis-silverlight/

Microsoft Visual Studio Web Developer Express http://www.microsoft.com/EXPRESS/VWD/

References Background dates

http://www.slideshare.net/stevenfeldman/history-of-web-mapping

REST technology http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/devsummit09/devke

ynote.html

Software lifecycle costs http://users.jyu.fi/~koskinen/smcosts.htm

Software complexity maintenance costs http://academic.research.microsoft.com/Paper/12640246.aspx

Contact

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at: info@qbsol.com 713.430.8601 or www.qbsol.com

Questions?

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