The ArcGIS API for JavaScript website revamped with the 4.11 release, has features that will help inspire experienced developers and jump-start the efforts of new developers.
The home page has been redesigned to help you quickly find information about the API’s capabilities and the resources available to learn about them. Go directly to the Tutorials, Guide, Sample Code, API Reference, and Showcase sections from the home page. The home page also has resources for exploring 2D and 3D visualization and building compelling apps.
The Guide takes you to the resources that will help you be a more successful developer, whether you are a veteran, newbie, or somewhere in between. For seasoned developers, more than 200 code samples provide examples of the full range of ArcGIS API for JavaScript capabilities. The sandbox in the Sample Code section has been updated with new functionality. The portal items and Esri modules are clickable and take you to the Details page for each item or the documentation for modules. Both are huge time-savers. The Showcase section, which is also new, is a collection of apps that show the API’s capabilities with links to the code in GitHub, an explanation of relevant technology, and links so you can learn how to build the same capabilities in your apps.
If you are a new developer, the Start Learning section is designed to get you up and coding fast. Learn how to build a Hello World app using three easy steps on the Quick Start page. Short tutorials in this section take about 10 minutes and teach a specific task. Tutorials are linked logically so you can master topics in a meaningful way. They are organized into topic folders, such as Developer Tooling or Building Your UI, and new topics have been developed to teach API core concepts. The small embedded table of contents in the pages for many topics will help you quickly navigate within a page.
The Core Concepts pages will teach you about basic classes and concepts, so it’s a perfect place to start for people new to the ArcGIS API for JavaScript or new to the 4.x version of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript. The three Core Concepts sections are: Maps and Views, Layers and Data, and Programming Patterns.
The General JavaScript Resources section helps you improve the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills you will need to be successful with web app development.
Stay current with ArcGIS development efforts with the links to the ArcGIS Blog and the ArcGIS JavaScript Twitter account on the Guide page.
The new Tutorials section has 22 tutorials that already exist on the ArcGIS Developers site, but now you can also access them from the ArcGIS API for JavaScript website. These step-by-step instructional guides will walk you through building specific functionality using CodePen. These tutorials contain explanations and links to relevant information on topics about the rest of the ArcGIS platform, such as ArcGIS Online and the ArcGIS REST API.
