Using SDS feature services

To use database tables via a Spatial Data Server (SDS) in the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Java, you need to know the uniform resource locator (URL) of a table. URLs can vary but often look like the following:

• http://www.example.com/sds/databases/Demo/dbo.WorldCities_Geographic

Using tables

In general, tables in the database can be queried in the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Java and displayed as graphics in a map. SDS components and any native spatial capabilities the databases have do not generate map images on a server; instead, the SDS streams features (geometry and attributes) to the client, and the client is responsible for displaying the geographic content as graphics. The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Java includes the following core components you can use to access and display features:

• Feature layers—The easiest component to use when you want to display spatially enabled data tables via SDS. The Url property is required and must point to the table hosted by the SDS. Symbology and renderers can be defined for the layer.
• Graphics layers—Usually coupled with a QueryTask, which returns features that are programatically added to the graphics layer as graphic elements. The URL to the table hosted by SDS is defined on the QueryTask. A graphics layer is often used when you need more explicit control over the structure of graphics in a layer, or the properties of a layer. For example, the features and their attributes can be used to construct a class breaks renderer on-the-fly.
• Query task—Enables you to construct an attribute or spatial query to return records in a table hosted by SDS. The table may or may not be spatially enabled. If features are returned (thus geometry is returned), you can display them using a graphics layer. The query task provides a set of properties to refine the query results.