Geoprocessing widget

This page describes an older version, please read about the latest version at:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/flex-viewer/concepts/

Geoprocessing is a fundamental component of the ArcGIS system. At a conceptual level, geoprocessing allows you to automate your GIS tasks and perform spatial analysis and modeling. Almost all uses of GIS involve the repetition of work, and this creates the need for methods to automate, document, and share multiple-step procedures known as workflows. Geoprocessing supports the automation of workflows by providing a rich set of tools and a mechanism to combine a series of tools in a sequence of operations using models and scripts. ArcGIS includes hundreds of geoprocessing tools.

Geoprocessing is based on a framework of data transformation. A typical geoprocessing tool performs an operation on an ArcGIS dataset (such as a feature class, raster, or table) and produces a new dataset as the result of the tool.

To learn more about geoprocessing:

• A quick tour of geoprocessing
• Essential geoprocessing vocabulary

The Geoprocessing widget enables you to easily add and configure geoprocessing services into the Viewer application. A geoprocessing service contains geoprocessing tasks accessible by the Viewer. When you execute a task in a geoprocessing service, it really executes on the server behind the scenes. The results are then delivered to the Viewer application. For more information on geoprocessing services:

• Key concepts for geoprocessing services
• Guide to related geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server topics

The Geoprocessing widget has been designed to support many different types of GIS workflows, with different data inputs, operations, and outputs.

The Viewer application configurer and/or Web application designer would pre-create and publish a geoprocessing service, then configure the Geoprocessing widget to work with the service. From an end user perspective, they would be executing a GIS task such as determining a drive time calculation or generating a surface profile, by entering the required inputs needed by the GIS task. The Geoprocessing widget is designed to work with a single geoprocessing task, but can be added numerous times in the Viewer as needed.

Five different examples of the Geoprocessing widget are included with the Viewer application. Each illustrates an example GIS workflow that can be leveraged in the Viewer. They are:

Example #1: Calculate viewshed

Calculates the viewshed of a point given a user defined location and viewing distance.

Example #2: Drive times

Calculates "Drive Time" polygons given an input location and drive times.

Example #3: Extract data

Extracts the selected layers in the specified area of interest to the selected formats and spatial reference, then returns all the data in a zip file.

Example #4: Message in a bottle

Calculates the path a bottle would follow given a user defined point and the number of days the bottle travels.

Example #5: Population summary

Calculates the population within the area specified by a user defined polygon.

Example #6: Surface profile

Generates a surface profile given a user defined line feature input.

All of the above Geoprocessing widget implementations are available in the config-geoprocessing.xml and config-all.xml example configuration files included with the Viewer application.

Note that when you configure a custom geoprocessing service with the Geoprocessing widget, its appearance and functionality will vary depending on the input(s), operation(s), and output(s) requirements of your particular GIS task defined by the geoprocessing service.

Note:

#1. Multi-value parameters only support String types.

#2. RasterDataLayer & RecordSet types are not supported as input parameters.

Test drive the Geoprocessing widget or read its tag reference.