topic Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API in ArcGIS API for Silverlight Questions

Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

MelissaCrane — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:55:46 GMT

I am trying to get a feel for the level of programming skills needed to work with the Silverlight API? Is it feasible to expect a GIS professional with little programming background to learn C# to develop basic to moderate mapping applications?

Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

JenniferNery — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:58:52 GMT

I think that gaining basic knowledge of C# and Silverlight programming are kind of easy to pick up with the availability of tutorial and other online resource. But "easy" is subjective.

You can maybe try this out yourself and gauge how you feel about using our API. The API resource center http://esriurl.com/slsdk2 and blogs usually target beginner to intermediate level of programmers.

Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

dotMorten_esri — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT

I think that before you start working with the ESRI API, that you first get to know Silverilght. My experience is that that is the hardest part. Once you know Silverlight, the ESRI API shouldn't be that difficult: http://www.silverlight.net/getstarted/

Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

AndrewHayden1 — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:24:39 GMT

Does anyone have a small sample VB project or even just an example of the XAML and VB that shows more than one thing going on at the same time (take something simple like Add Dynamic Layer and Show Mouse Coordinates)? For whatever reason, I can do one or the other but not both (and the templates all look like CS).

Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

JenniferNery — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:48:35 GMT

These samples have corresponding VB code. http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/samples/start.htm#MouseCoords
http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/samples/start.htm#AddLayerDynamically

Were you trying to do both?

If you merged the two samples and the Map does not contain any layer, it's Extent must still be null unless you've set it already. You can see this check in the MouseMove event handler. It is therefore only after a layer has been added that screen and map coordinates are retrieved.

Also while your mouse is over another control, like the grid that contains TextBlock for adding URL and Button to add the layer, Map MouseMove will not fire. I'm not sure if you were expecting the screen and map coordinates to be updated then.

Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

AndrewHayden1 — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:34:10 GMT

Those are the samples I've been trying to do together in the same project.

I don't understand what the VB code behind is doing for the Dynamic layer. When I run the project, only copying the XAML, the project runs fine. When I duplicate the VB I get the following error at InitializeComponent():

" 'InitializeComponent' is not declared. It may be inaccessible due to its protection level."

It looks like the problem is related to the Namespace, but I don't understand it.

Re: Level of Programming Skills for Silverlight API

JenniferNery — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:08:17 GMT

Yes that is very likely.

Be sure that the XAML Class definition,

<UserControl x:Class=" ArcGISSilverlightSDK.AddLayerDynamically"

matches the code-behind namespace and class definition

namespace ArcGISSilverlightSDK
{
public partial class AddLayerDynamically