Pros / Cons for WPF API?

[DanielK]

I have searched for some sort of list with pros and cons for WPF API against the other API's but haven't found any so can you with experience please help me with this?

What is good with WPF API?

What is not so good with WPF API?


Is all API's developed at the same time?
Does WPF API have the best performance?
Any limits on the WPF that other API's doesn't have?

Regards,
Daniel

[MichaelBranscomb]

Hi Daniel,

I'm assuming here that you're asking for a comparison of esri's native application APIs, also known as the ArcGIS Runtime APIs: Android, Java, iOS, Win Mob, WP7, & WPF. In the past, each API has had differences in what it offers, but over the last few months we've really focussed on making each of these APIs equivalent in the functionality and performance they provide. The goal of this is to make sure that, wherever possible, with the 10.1.1 release you really do just need to choose the platform you want to deploy to (i.e. Android, iOS, Windows, etc) and let that determine the API you use. Having said that, each platform does have different capabilities, so you'll find that the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Java and for WPF contain more functionality that the ArcGIS Runtime SDKs for Android/iOS/WP simply because Linux and Windows are currently more capable platforms, particularly when it comes to accessing local data and resources. If your targetting the Windows Dekstop platform then the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for WPF is the best choice.


Cheers

Mike

[DanielK]

Thank you for your fast reply Mike!

We are currently looking into WPF and JavaScript API so can you give more examples if we compare them?

Regards,
Daniel

[MichaelBranscomb]

Hi,

Functionally and even in API design the ArcGIS WPF and JavaScript APIs share many aspects, but they are intended for different purposes. WPF will help you build great desktop applications which are highly functional/interactive, can be disconnected, and run specifically on the Windows platform - so if the Windows desktop is your target platform then the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for WPF is the best option. In contrast JavaScript will help you build great web applications which you build once and will run in a browser anywhere (in theory) - so if supporting a wide range of desktop and mobile platforms is important to you and they'll always be connected then the ArcGIS API for JavaScript is probably a better option. The JavaScript API has little or no offline/disconnected capabilities in contrast to the WPF SDK which provides support for working offline with maps, data, tools local to the device. There's also an element of the native app versus web app debate - typically you get a much better experience with native apps but they require more effort to write and maintain for each platform to which you want to deploy. Then there are hybrid devleopment frameworks which adopt a variety of approaches to host web apps within a native app framework although typically these are iOS/Android oriented.

Cheers

Mike