Why you should transition to JavaScript now for ArcGIS Server development:
In a recent post providing a roadmap for web developers, Esri suggested that JavaScript/HTML5 has become the technology of choice among their development community for web and mobile development efforts. Flex and Silverlight, while still in use by some developers, has become increasingly marginalized due to limited browser support and the need for plugins. I don’t think this is a real surprise to anyone that follows the trends in web development, but this official announcement from Esri will certainly push more developers into HTML5/JavaScript.

We have several classes designed to get you up to speed with building web and mobile ArcGIS Server applications using HTML/CSS/JavaScript. See below for details.

I’ve summarized the main points of the Esri RoadMap for Web Developers below.
1. Continued advancement of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript
2. ArcGIS API for JavaScript 4.x to be released in 2014 (3D visualization, enhanced vector rendering, stream layers, more)
3. New JavaScript API based web application builder will be released.
4. Flex and Silverlight will not be updated to version 4 so 3D visualization, enhanced vector rendering, stream layers will not be added to these APIs.
5. Flex and Silverlight APIs will not be deprecated….yet! I think it’s coming though so get prepared now.
6. One or two more Flex and Silverlight maintenance releases in 2014. Tech support will continue beyond 2014 but I personally don’t expect to see new releases after this year. The writing is on the wall for Flex and Silverlight.
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New Book Released: Building Web and Mobile ArcGIS Server Applications with JavaScript
My new book, Building Web and Mobile ArcGIS Server Applications with JavaScript has officially been published by Packt Publishing. The book can be purchased in hard copy and e-book formats. You can also download a sample chapter (Chapter 6: Performing Spatial and Attribute Queries).

New Class: Building Web and Mobile ArcGIS Server Applications with JavaScript
We have 5 sessions of our new course Building Web and Mobile ArcGIS Server Applications with JavaScript scheduled for the next few months. See below for details of the workshop.

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