THE ARCIMS REQUEST

THE ARCIMS REQUEST/RESPONSE CYCLE

In this exercise we are going to use a simple viewer that allows you to enter an XML <REQUEST> and it displays the XML <RESPONSE> from the server. In the n:\int_gis_map\labs folder you will find a folder called Exercise03. Copy that folder into your studata\your_name work area. Check your C:\ drive and see if the folder \Student is at the root. If it is not, copy n:\int_gis\_map\labs\Student to your C:\ drive. This set of data, web sites, axl files and documents are the training data for three ESRI ArcIMS Courses - Introduction to ArcIMS (CIMS), Customizing ArcIMS using ArcXML (CAXL) and Customizing ArcIMS using HTML and Java Script so it will take a while.

Start the ArcIMS Administrator application. Click Services on the left panel to list the ArcIMS currently available. From the Services menu pull down to New.

In the New Service dialog, for Service Name, enter NorthAmerica.

For Map File browse to your Ex03 folder and select the Na.axl file. For Virtual Server select ImageServer1.

In the New Service dialog, click OK to create the ArcIMS service. Repeat those steps to create four more ArcIMS services using the information below:

Service Name:        WORLD
AXL file:                OVWorld.axl
Virtual Server:        ImageServer1

Service Name:        SanFran
AXL file:                Sf.axl
Virtual Server:        ImageServer1

Service Name:        States
AXL file:                States.axl
Virtual Server:        ImageServer1

Service Name:        Regions
AXL file:                Regions.axl
Virtual Server:        ImageServer1

Next go to N:\int_gis_map\labs and copy the EX03A folder to your website folder, c:\arcims\website. Look in that folder and you will see it is a website with only three htm files, no Java script and no images.

This is the default.htm file that opens when you access the website from your browser:

This is the absolute minimum setup for an ArcIMS site - two frames. In one frame there is a place to place input - requests - and in the second frame the response is posted. Those two htm files are a bit more complex with embedded java scripts behind the buttons, etc..

In Internet Explorer open C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcIMS\Documentation\ArcXML_Guide\Support_files\arcxmlguide.htm

Open a browser and enter http://localhost/website/Ex03A

Make sure the Host box says "localhost" and the ArcIMS service box says "catalog."

In the index of the ArcXML guide enter GETCLIENTSERVICES

Are there any attributes or children for this element? _______________

In the Request text box enter a <GETCLIENTSERVICES /> request. Remember, this must have an opening element and a closing element. Click Send Request.

List the services available __________________________________________________________

What type of image does the SanFran service create? _______________________

Next you will query an ArcIMS service to get it default information. In the SendArcXML viewer click Template. The required prolog and root elements are displayed in the text box. You are going to enter a request that will return the minimal information about the service and not all you can find out. Open up the GET_SERVICE_INFO entry in the ArcXML guide. If you do not change some of the attribute-value pairs you will get too much information. You will setting some of the attributes of this request to false to reduce the information returned.

Ennter NorthAmerica in the ArcIMS service text box. In the Request text box use a GET_SERVICE_INFO request to retrieve the minimal information about the NorthAmerica service. Click Send Request

Which attributes and values did you use and why? _____________________________________________

What is the initial extent of the NorthAmerica service? _________________________________________

Change the service to States and form a request to obtain only the renderer information about the service.

Which attributes and values did you use and why? ____________________________________________________

What type of rendering is used for the States layer in this ArcIMS Service? __________________________________

In the Request text box edit the last request so it retrieves only extension information from the SanFran service.

What types of extensions are used in this ArcIMS service? _______________________________

To which layers are the extensions applied? ______________________________________

Suppose you wanted to retrieve each layers ID, name and number of features. In the viewer click Template. In the Request text box enter a request that will return the ID, name and number of features in the World. Hint: check the GET_IMAGE element; there is an attribute there that you need to set. Also, notice that there is a mandatory child for this element; even if there are no attributes for that element, it must be there.

What is the feature count, ID and name for each layer ___________________________________________

Where is the output image located? ____________________________________________________

Open the image