Web ADF Technology

The ArcGIS Java Web Application Developer Framework (ADF) enables you to integrate geographic information system (GIS) data and capabilities into your Web applications. The ADF includes Web controls, classes, frameworks and application programming interfaces (APIs) that you’ll use to build your Web applications. To get started, you can use Manager—an administrative Web application included with ArcGIS Server and ArcIMS—to step through a comprehensive Web application designer to generate a predesigned Web site. Alternatively, you can build your Web application in Eclipse or NetBeans with the Web Mapping Application template, which offers basic map display, navigation, and interactive capabilities. You can also use the Web controls directly to create a Web site with your Java development environment of choice and develop your own specialized application in a style that conforms to your existing Web site.

The Java Web ADF is built using the JavaServer Faces (JSF) technology framework for building GIS user interfaces for Web applications. The Java Web ADF includes a set of APIs that represent user interface (UI) components and the JavaServer Pages (JSP) custom tag library to integrate a JSF interface within a JSP page. With this simple, well-defined programming model, the Java Web ADF provides developers of varying skill levels a framework for building GIS Web applications. With this level of power, the Java Web ADF handles all the complexities of managing the UI on the server, allowing GIS application developers to focus on application code. 

The following diagram highlights the primary components and their basic relationships in the Web ADF.   

The following four distinct sections should be considered:

All sections work in conjunction with one another. Most of the Web ADF components reside solely on the Web server. At runtime, some client-side support content, such as Web ADF JavaScript libraries, will be loaded by the browser. A set of data sources supported by the Web ADF out of the box are included for reference but are not required to utilize the Web ADF. Depending on the data source, Web ADF JavaScript may be able to take advantage of browser technologies to interact directly with data source results and content, such as accessing a map image available via a public virtual directory. External data sources supported by the Web ADF out of the box are shown at the bottom of the diagram. These data sources are not required to be installed on the same machine as the Web ADF and are only included to show the relationships with Web ADF components. In general, the Web ADF does not require the use of a specific data source; it can be installed and utilized on its own.