Advantages of installing Javascript API

[BarryGuidry]

What are the advantages of installing the Javascript API on the (local) server, over referencing the online source (http://serverapi.arcgisonline.com/jsapi/arcgis/?v=3.2) when building a web application?

[AdrianMarsden]

Load speed - simple as that - take a look at the two images from Google Chrome showing load times for various stuff with load times (not the same files, alas, but should give you the idea)

When we used the esri hosted API, there would be a 5-15 second delay while the client contacted Esri servers to check that the cached version it had was still valid.  For local hosted this is less than 1 second

Also, there were times when the esri servers simply timed out, leaving our users unable to work.

Cheers

ACM

[BarryGuidry]

Thank you very much, Adrian.

When creating the web application would one simply replace the pathname from http://serverapi.arcgisonline.com/jsapi/arcgis/?v=3.2 to http://<ownservername>/jsapi/arcgis/?v=3.2 (or whatever version installed)?

[AdrianMarsden]

No, there are instructions in the download  you need to edit a js file, then reference it slightly differently, but it is all in the installation notes and I did it without any problems

[BarryGuidry]

Thanks again, Adrian. I think I've found the installation instructions you stated (attached).

[AdrianMarsden]

Yep, that's them 0 you will not regret it - the first few seconds are important to user perception, and if they have to wait 10 seconds before they see anything, they'll already be getting grumpy.

[BarryGuidry]

Agreed. 🙂