Preface

In this digital age, we expect maps to be available wherever we are. We search for driving directions on our phone. We look for business locations and nearby restaurants using apps. Maintenance personnel use digital maps to locate assets several feet underground. Government officials and C-level executives need up-to-date location data to make important decisions that affect many lives.

ESRI has been an industry leader for 30 years in the realm of digital mapping. Through products such as ArcGIS Server, they empower companies, government agencies, and digital cartographers to publish maps and geographic data on the Web. Websites and applications written with the ArcGIS API for JavaScript make those maps available on both desktop and mobile browsers. The API also provides the building blocks needed to create powerful applications for data presentation, collection, and analysis.

While there are plenty of examples, blog posts, and books to get you started in developing apps with the ArcGIS API for JavaScript, they don't often go that deep. They don't discuss the pitfalls, limitations, and best practices for developing applications with their tools. That next step is what this book tries to accomplish.