ArcGIS Server 10 Pre release: Template applications

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06-02-2010 06:15 AM
ErikNyberg
New Contributor
Am I missing something here or are there no other OOB applications (except the WebADF one) shipped with AGS 10 pre-release?
I just installed it and was looking forward to see some funky new OOB Silverlight templates..

Will the other templates come in the final release or will they be separate downloads from the gallery?
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9 Replies
dotMorten_esri
Esri Notable Contributor
Are you referring to the two Standard and Showcase templates that gets installed into Visual Studio 2010 and Blend 4? Note that you won't get the install option if you don't have the Blend 4 SDK installed (which currently doesn't ship seperately from Blend 4RC).
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ErikNyberg
New Contributor
I am talking about OOB template applications that can be configured by a non-developer through manager.
I thought that AGS10 would have more options here than just the webadf template app?
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dotMorten_esri
Esri Notable Contributor
Aaah in that case you're in the wrong forum 🙂 This it the Silverlight/WPF API forums.
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ErikNyberg
New Contributor
I thought that the plan was to include REST clients in to the Manager which non-developers could customize without writing code (just like the webADF client)?

So let me rephrase the question so it fits this forum:
Will there be any Silverlight configurable apps in Managar in AGS 10?

🙂
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dotMorten_esri
Esri Notable Contributor

Will there be any Silverlight configurable apps in Managar in AGS 10?


Nope. Manager is part of Server/WebADF. The Client API's are not.
Currently, these Client API's are made for developers. We might include something like this down the road, but for now, the closest thing you will get is the XML configurable Flex app. Alternatively if you require Silverlight, you can get fairly far with no code using Expression blend, as shown in this session: http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/devsummit10/tech/tech_68.html (starting at 29:00)

We know this OOB thing is a common occuring request, and we are looking into accomodating the request down the road.
I personally feel it's going against what these Client API's are really good for though: Making a simple targeted app, that does one thing, but does this one thing really well. An OOB app would always have to try and do everything, and thus never be that simple targeted app that your users will love to use and be productive with. I say, create one app that solves one problem, and create a different app that solves a different problem. Anyone can quickly learn how to use an app with one button, will only require very little development to make, likely have at most very few bugs, and will be easy to maintain and later extend if needed. The OOB will quickly become a big monstrous thing that tries to do everything, basically be ArcMap on the web and never be exactly what you need, or be easy to later retrofit to fit your needs. I know this does require a developer, and I do understand where you're coming from with this request, but this is just my opinion (and I am a developer after all:-)
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ErikNyberg
New Contributor
Ok, thanks Morten!
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dotMorten_esri
Esri Notable Contributor
Btw, feel free to share what type of scenarious you are trying to solve with an OOB app. What are must-haves, what are nice-to-haves etc.
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ErikNyberg
New Contributor
Morten, I work as a developer for a company that develop both ArcIMS and AGS applications for clients and the reason I asked this question was that I wanted to know the plans for customize-able OOB applications in AGS10. There has been some rumours about it for a while and I think that clients would like to see this feature so that they can build their own apps.
You answered my question by saying "We might include something like this down the road, but for now.."
and I am happy with that answer 🙂

I totally agree with you regarding develop small targeted apps rather than a ArcMap in the browser and that seems to be what our clients want as well..
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dotMorten_esri
Esri Notable Contributor
"There has been some rumours about it for a while and I think that clients would like to see this feature so that they can build their own apps."

The point here is that they WON'T be building their own apps. They will just be configuring an existing app. If they need to build their own apps, but doesn't want to be a developer, Expression Blend is the solution.
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