Transition to Experince Builder or Web App Builder?

Question

Belive it or not but we're still using a customized Flex Viewer, but since Flash will definitly die by the end of this year time has finaly come to leave Flex viewer behind. Getting started with web app developer version has been on my to do list for a long time, but now when the time has come I'm not sure if I can just skip web app builder and the javascript API 3 and go for Experince builder and javascript API 4 instead.
I have very little experince with javascript, but managed to learn actionscript for customizing the flexviewer pretty quick. We have some apps with a lot of widgets, many of Roberts "eWidgets" that I've customized a bit more as well as some I've made my self. All this functionality needs to be migrated to web app builder or experince builder by the end of this year.

What do you guys think, will Experince builder be mature enough this fall so I can skip web app builder, or will it be more safe to go with web app builder?

Is getting familiar with API v.3 a waste of time, or will it make it easier to learn v.4 later?

MattiasEkstr√∂m · Answer

Thanks for your reply Robert!
I took a closer look at the list of widgets för EB, it's basically mostly layout elements. Your're definitly right, with my deadline WAB is the way to go.

I don't really know what I think about ESRI's way of releasing new products that don't replace the older ones because they lack so much, while everyone understands that they will replace them in the longer term. It gets a little messy with all the parallel products.

RobertScheitlin__GISP · Answer

Will Experience builder be mature enough this fall so I can skip web app builder, or will it be more safe to go with web app builder?

I have my doubts. EB is not at parity with WAB and is still lacking in widgets. It is the future though. But I don't think it will meet your deadline. Many of the Flex widget that you are use to have been made into WAB Widgets. The big thing here is you should use WAB for now and be ready to move to EB once widgets are there.

Is getting familiar with API v.3 a waste of time, or will it make it easier to learn v.4 later?

Learning JS API 3.x will Not be a waste of time at all. Though there are some/many coding changes from 3.x to 4.x the basics are still the same.