We’ve had quite a few requests from developers new to our JavaScript, Adobe Flex and Microsoft Silverlight APIs asking for pointers on where to start. There is a lot of good content out there, sometimes it exists in places you might not have thought to look.
The best place to start is in the Resource Centers. Each API has a dedicated Resource Center that contains a treasure trove of code samples, as well as concept docs, complete API reference, videos (Media Gallery) and community contributed sample apps (Code Galleries).
Read through the Concepts section, walk through all the code samples, and read the explanations. Each Media Gallery has full-length DevSummit tech session videos that offer an experience similar to taking an online course. And, be sure to subscribe to the Forums via RSS so you can get a feel for the types of questions that are being asked.
We have also pulled together a list of Hello World tutorials, introductory classes, articles and videos. The links are below. If you know of any other good getting started links that we may have left out or are new, be sure to post a comment and share them with the rest of the community.
ArcGIS API for JavaScript
ArcGIS API for Flex
ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/WPF
ArcGIS Server Services
Last but not least, there is also playlist on Youtube called ESRITV that contains short, Channel 9-style videos. These include behind-the-scenes interviews with the dev teams, as well as instructional, how-to videos.
