Note: Community Analyst and the Business Analyst Server API libraries have been merged into one single library (one swc file). Some benefits of this are to allow for easy migration from the Community Analyst API to Business Analyst Server and to allow Business Analyst Server applications to leverage the hosted Community Analyst API to get access to new data and reports as they become available.
The documentation here focuses on how you can work with the Community Analyst API.
The Esri Community Analyst API for Flex enables you to build dynamic rich Internet applications (RIAs) using the same functionality in the Esri Community Analyst REST API and utilizes the powerful site screening, market analysis and economic development capabilities of Esri Community Analyst. This API shortens the development time for creating Flex applications that utilize the Community Analyst API.
What can you do with the Esri Community Analyst API for Flex?
The Community Analyst API for Flex extends the capability of Esri’s ArcGIS API for Flex with methods to create trade areas, run demographic reports, run comparative analytics and more. You can:
- Use token-based security to authenticate, validate, and secure Web services transactions and execute a variety of Community Analyst tasks once authenticated.
- Execute trade area tasks around business points and display these simple rings or drive time trade area/services on the map and summarize their underlying demographics and market characteristics with a library of reports.
- Run reporting tasks to generate a variety of reports for Community Analyst data layers in different presentation-ready formats such as PDF, and in certain cases, consume the individual report values in your web application, using the S.XML (Simplified XML) format.
- Utilize lookup utility tasks which can be used in analysis tasks. These could include utilities such as retrieving available report templates, available geography features, standard geography data layers and summarization variables.
NOTE: You can program with the Community Analyst API for Flex without installing Community Analyst Server on your machine. Use the following base URLs in your application:
| Authentication base URL | https://baoapi.esri.com |
| Community Analyst tasks base URL | http://baoapi.esri.com |
What is included in the Esri Community Analyst API for Flex?
The Community Analyst API for Flex provides the following resources for use in your Web applications:
- Tasks - The API includes classes and methods for common Community Analyst tasks:
- Authentication
- Generate trade areas
- Generate reports
- Retrieve standard geography layers
- Run lookup utilities
- Thematic Mapping - Symbolize standard geography areas according to the selected thematic variable values and classification scheme.
- UI Controls and Widgets Support - Used in UI controls and widgets created on top of the most popular Community Analyst tasks.
- Access to ArcGIS API for Flex API components - The Community Analyst API for Flex is built on top of the ArcGIS Flex framework, which allows the use of ArcGIS Server resources such as maps, locators and geoprocessing models. Learn more about the ArcGIS Flex framework on the ArcGIS API for Flex site.
- Access to Adobe Flex components - The Community Analyst API for Flex is built on top of the Adobe Flex framework, which allows use of Flex components such as data grids, trees, panels and charts. Learn more about the Flex framework on the Adobe web site.
Getting Help
- If you're new to ArcGIS API for Flex and Flex programming, see the ArcGIS API for Flex site.
- The Samples and API Reference sections will help with your application development.