Core features of Web API templates (Final Release Version)

[JTessier]

Saw silverlight API at Dev conference, so this request for core (out-of-the-box) components is based on the templates previewed there, but can be applied generically across the API board:
(Not in any particular order):

1)  Legend/TOC/LayerControl
2)  Measure Tool
3)  Scale and scalebar
4) Show coordinate(s)
5) Identify (default=generic, but customizable)
6) Query/Search (default=generic, but customizable)
7) Change Basemap (at runtime preferred), include Bing and Google Maps options.
😎 Markup
9) Ability to Mash-up (add layers - runtime preferred)
10) Include intuitive/robust default "Selection States" for API elements (hover and select)
11) Printing capability that inlcudes markups and dynamic layers
12) Run an asynchronous task (geocode should be default).

[NickFloersch]

Item 1 on your list should be item 1... the APIs need an appropriate Legend widget of some sort. Either built in to the TOC, or separate... but it is mind boggling how we have come this far without a built-in legend for our maps. Maybe not all maps need legends, but a lot actually do! One would guess that ESRI realized this??

[KevinMayo]

 If ESRI is pushing developers to adopt one or more of the APIs over the Web ADF, they should provide a similar out of the box template application.  The templates currently available for Silverlight aren't even close to what is available in the Web ADF.  I am hacking bits together from all over the place just to get started.  

[RickKoehler]

Definitely second this motion, especially for Identify, Measure Tool(s), and probably TOC/Legend.
Contemplate the toolbar interface used on the out-of-the-box ArcGIS Server map builder - it has all these and more. Why? Probably because they've kind of become the standard set of tools. Similar to the standard set you start out with in ArcGIS Desktop.

To offer a "Rotate Map" but not an "ID"? Strange. Gee, which one do you think will be used more often?

Speaking of strange, it's almost a year since this "idea" was posted. Any action on it yet?

[RickKoehler]

Responding to flipside08 (so they'll at least get *some* response), I agree. Totally.

If I had a nice big staff of folks, app/dev programmers, web designers, GIS specialists, etc., the "roll-your-own" approach would be more of an option. But in single-person shops, where the single-person is a GIS person first-and-foremost, as opposed to a .NET/C# professional coder, we'll gladly take help where we can get it. More time to do GIS rather than application development using a truncated toolset.

[EsriAGSIdeas]

Thank you for your comments and suggestions regarding improving the Web API templates. Actually, we currently have several ready-to-deploy, configurable Viewers based on both the Flex and Silverlight APIs. They are the:
- ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.2
- ArcGIS Viewer for Microsoft Silverlight (In Beta)

Both were designed with the non-developer in mind so you can create fully functional apps without writting code. They include many core GIS mapping tools out-of-the-box (including the ones listed in the Idea). Additionally, you can extend these configurable apps with new capabilities by using the ArcGIS APIs for Flex and Silverlight, respectively.

We foresee these two applications enhancing the user experience and capabilities provided by the out-of-the-box web mapping applications that you can create today with ArcGIS Server Manager (and that will no longer by shipped after the next major release of ArcGIS Server).

[KevinMayo]

The ESRI response below is what continues frustrates me as a developer.  Instead of responding to what we are asking for, a comparable set of controls to the Web ADF, we get yet another line of development and customization.