<mybooks>
  <book isbn="074840869">
    <title> Internet GIS </title>
    <authors>
       <author> Zhong-Ren Peng </author>
       <author> Ming-Hsiang Tsou </author>
    </authors>
  </book>
</mybooks>

	Markup (fixed? or customizable?)
	CASE sensitive
	Purpose
	Functions
	Applications

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<!DOCTYPE mybooks [

<!ELEMENT mybooks (book*)> 

<!ELEMENT book (title, authors)>

<!ELEMENT title (#PCDATA | quote)*> 

<!ELEMENT authors (author*)>    

<!ELEMENT author (#PCDATA | quote)*>

<!ATTLIST book ISBN #REQUIRED>

]>

(!ELEMENT: to define each element.)

(!ATTLIST: to define the element attributes.)

(The keyword #PCDATA derives historically from the term "parsed character data.")

XML Schema (vs. DTD)

An XML Schema is an XML-based syntax for defining how an XML document is marked up. XML Schema is a schema specification recommended by Microsoft and it has many advantages over document type definition (DTD), the initial schema specification for defining an XML model. DTDs have many drawbacks, including the use of non-XML syntax, no support for datatyping, and non-extensibility. For example, DTDs do not allow you to define element content as anything other than another element or a string. For more information about DTDs, see the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) XML Recommendation. XML Schema improves upon DTDs in several ways, including the use of XML syntax, and support for datatyping and namespaces. For example, an XML Schema allows you to specify an element as an integer, a float, a Boolean, a URL, and so on.

The Microsoft?XML Parser (MSXML) in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and later can validate an XML document with both a DTD and an XML Schema.

<Schema xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-data" 
  xmlns:dt="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:datatypes">
  <AttributeType name='studentID' dt:type='string' required='yes'/>
  <ElementType name='name' content='textOnly'/>
  <ElementType name='GPA' content='textOnly' dt:type='float'/>
  <ElementType name='student' content='mixed'>
    <attribute type='studentID'/>
    <element type='name'/>
    <element type='GPA'/>
  </ElementType>
  <ElementType name='class' content='eltOnly'>
    <element type='student'/>
  </ElementType>
</Schema>

Source:  XML schema introduction: (Microsoft)  http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/efc70bx3(VS.71).aspx

W3C XML Schema:  http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema

Other resource: 

	XML Specification: http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-xml-20001006
	XML resource http://www.w3.org/XML/

 

RELAX NG

Another popular schema language for XML is RELAX NG. Initially specified by OASIS, RELAX NG is now also an ISO international standard (as part of DSDL). It has two formats: an XML based syntax and a non-XML compact syntax. The compact syntax aims to increase readability and writability but, since there is a well-defined way to translate the compact syntax to the XML syntax and back again by means of James Clark's Trang conversion tool, the advantage of using standard XML tools is not lost. RELAX NG has a simpler definition and validation framework than XML Schema, making it easier to use and implement. It also has the ability to use datatype framework plug-ins; a RELAX NG schema author, for example, can require values in an XML document to conform to definitions in XML Schema Datatypes.

[edit] ISO DSDL

The ISO DSDL (Document Schema Description Languages) standard brings together a comprehensive set of small schema languages, each targeted at specific problems. DSDL includes RELAX NG full and compact syntax, Schematron assertion language, and languages for defining datatypes, character repertoire constraints, renaming and entity expansion, and namespace-based routing of document fragments to different validators. DSDL schema languages do not have the vendor support of XML Schemas yet, and are to some extent a grassroots reaction of industrial publishers to the lack of utility of XML Schemas for publishing.

 

Parsing XML  (source: http://www.w3schools.com/Xml/xml_parser.asp )

All modern browsers have a built-in XML parser that can be used to read and manipulate XML.

The parser reads XML into memory and converts it into an XML DOM object that can be accessed with JavaScript.

 

 

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a stylesheet language used to describe the presentation (that is, the look and formatting) of a document written in a markup language. Its most common application is to style web pages written in HTML and XHTML, but the language can be applied to any kind of XML document, including SVG and XUL.

CSS is designed primarily to enable the separation of document content (written in HTML or a similar markup language) from document presentation, including elements such as the colors, fonts, and layout. This separation can improve content accessibility, provide more flexibility and control in the specification of presentation characteristics, enable multiple pages to share formatting, and reduce complexity and repetition in the structural content (such as by allowing for tableless web design). CSS can also allow the same markup page to be presented in different styles for different rendering methods, such as on-screen, in print, by voice (when read out by a speech-based browser or screen reader) and on Braille-based, tactile devices.  

A style sheet consists of a list of rules. Each rule or rule-set consists of one or more selectors and a declaration block. A declaration-block consists of a list of semicolon-separated declarations in braces. Each declaration itself consists of a property, a colon (:), a value, then a semi-colon (;)

In your lab4, when you choose different "themes" in Frontpage, these themes are actually different CSS files.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets)

 

GML (Geography Markup Language) http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/gml

The Geography Markup Language (GML) is an XML encoding for the transport and storage of geographic information, including both the geometry and properties of geographic features. This specification defines the mechanisms and syntax that GML uses to encode geographic information in XML. (Source: OGC, 2000, Geography Markup Language (GML) v1.0, Document Number: 00-029).

LineString Element Example: 

DTD (Document Type Definition)

<!ELEMENT LineString (coordinates) >

<!ATTLIST LineString

    ID CDATA #IMPLIED

    srsName CDATA #IMPLIED >

 

XML document Example:

<LineString srsName="EPSG:4326">

    <coordinates>

        0.0,0.0

        100.0,100.0

    </coordinates>

</LineString>

 

GML 2.0

Schemas were used in GML 2.0 to replace the DTDs in GML 1.0 due to the shortcomings of DTDs. The most important advantage of XML Schema over DTDs is that XML Schema provides a rich set of primitive datatypes (e.g. string, boolean, float, date, time) to describe element types and attribute types, and it further confers flexibility of creating derived and user-defined datatypes and substitution groups (GML 2.0, Feb 2001).

Link: 

OpenGIS GML 2.0 and 3.0, 3.1.1 http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/gml

 

(Figure 2.  from GML 3.1.1 documents  (2004):  http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/gml  )

 

3. ArcXML:  (ESRI's XML) http://edndoc.esri.com/arcims/9.0/  (current version 9.0)

ArcXML is designed as a protocol for data exchange between the ArcIMS Spatial Server, Application Server, and Application Server connectors. 

Map configuration files, MapServices, requests, and responses interact with the ArcIMS Spatial Server using ArcXML. The Spatial Server provides the functional capabilities for accessing and bundling maps and data into the appropriate format before sending the data back to a Web browser.

All communications with the Spatial Server are handled using ArcXML.

 

(Figure is from http://edndoc.esri.com/arcims/9.0/

 ArcXML Programmer's Reference Guide)

 

Sample map configuration file using ArcXML.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Cp1252"?>
<ARCXML version="1.0.1">
  <CONFIG>
    <MAP>
      <PROPERTIES>
        <ENVELOPE minx="-125" miny="25" maxx="-67" maxy="50"
        name="Initial_Extent" />
        <MAPUNITS units="DECIMAL_DEGREES" />
      </PROPERTIES>
      <WORKSPACES>
        <SHAPEWORKSPACE name="shp_ws-0" directory="C:\ESRIDATA\USA" />
      </WORKSPACES>
      <LAYER type="featureclass" name="STATES" visible="true" id="0">
        <DATASET name="STATES" type="polygon" workspace="shp_ws-0" />
        <SIMPLERENDERER>
          <SIMPLEPOLYGONSYMBOL fillcolor="0,0,255" filltype="solid" />
        </SIMPLERENDERER>
      </LAYER>
      <LAYER type="featureclass" name="CITIES" visible="true" id="1">
        <DATASET name="CITIES" type="point" workspace="shp_ws-0" />
        <SIMPLERENDERER>
          <SIMPLEMARKERSYMBOL color="255,0,0" width="6" />
        </SIMPLERENDERER>
      </LAYER>
    </MAP>
  </CONFIG>
</ARCXML>

The tag that distinguishes a map configuration file from a request or response is the CONFIG tag. Tags within the CONFIG tag such as PROPERTIES, WORKSPACES, and LAYER help define the characteristics of the map.

(Source: ArcXML Programmer's Reference Guide, ESRI, 2000)

http://edndoc.esri.com/arcims/9.0/

 

 

3. KML  (Keyhole Markup Language)  (used by Google Map and Google Earth).  (current version 2.1).

http://earth.google.com/kml/index.html

 

Tutorial: http://earth.google.com/kml/kml_21tutorial.html

 

KML is used to define the map layers on the Google Earth for various of display features (points, lines, polygons) with different colors and symbols.   Users can distribute their KML or KMZ  (compressed KML file)  on the websites to allow others to access the same map layers defined in the KML file.

 

Definition from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an XML-based language for managing three-dimensional geospatial data in the program Google Earth (previously called Keyhole before it was bought by Google). KML files are often distributed as KMZ, zipped KML files. The KML file specifies a feature (a placemark, image, or polygon) for Google Earth. It contains a basic description of the place, longitude, latitude, tilt and other information (such as a specified camera view). KML shares some of the same structural grammar as GML[1]

(cited from WiKipedia)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KML

 

	KML:  TEXT-based file,    (Example:  756 KB)
	KMZ:  Compressed KML, Binary format. (37KB)

 

Click Here to open the San Diego Bay Dry Weather KML (show the location of Water Quality Monitoring Site).    SD-Bay-Dry2003.kmz

Or alternative links: http://www.sdbay.sdsu.edu/maps/googleEarth.php

http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/google_earth/kml_examples_from_google.html

 

KML Examples:

 

Placemark:  SDSU (point)   (SDSU.kml)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Placemark>
<name>San Diego State University</name>
<address>5500 Campanile Dr&lt;br/&gt;San Diego, CA 92182, United States</address>
<Snippet maxLines="2">
619 594 5200 - 6.3 mi NE </Snippet>
<description><![CDATA[619 594 5200<br/>5500 Campanile Dr<br/>San Diego, CA 92182, United States<br/><a href="http://www.americanlanguage.org/">americanlanguage.org</a>&#160;-&#160;<a href="http://maps.google.com/local?q=San%20Diego%20State%20University&sll=32.7748,-117.071&sspn=0.00665352,0.00947798&latlng=32715278,-117156389,2265528216013199659">13850 more&#160;&#187;</a>]]></description>
<styleUrl>root://styleMaps#default+nicon=0x500+hicon=0x510</styleUrl>
<Point>
<coordinates>-117.071648,32.772904,0</coordinates>
</Point>
</Placemark>
</kml>

Path:  (Sweetwater River)  Sweetwater-path.kml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Placemark>
<name>Sweetwater River Path</name>
<styleUrl>root://styles#default+icon=0x307</styleUrl>
<LineString id="khLineString925">
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates>
-117.0988697647615,32.65220974231399,0 -117.1061788408392,32.65040692569353,0 -117.1094726682955,32.6495932598082,0 -117.1124940343589,32.64884757222333,0 -117.1174625858763,32.64711016282999,0
</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</kml>
�@

 

New KML functions:  3D texture.

Searchable KML function! (available in February 2007)

Google Earth users can now search publicly available Keyhole Markup Language (KML) data files, also known as map layers. To try it out, just start up Google Earth, zoom to a location of interest, and type in a search query. For example, go to New Zealand, and search for "Lord of the Rings." You'll see the KML results below the local results in the search panel on the left hand side:

See: http://googlemapsapi.blogspot.com/2007/02/search-for-kml-in-google-earth.html

 

 

Dynamic HTML (DHTML) and XHTML:

1. DHTML:  

Dynamic HTML refers to new HTML extensions that will enable a Web page to react to user input without sending requests to the Web server. Microsoft and Netscape have submitted competing Dynamic HTML proposals to W3C, which is producing the final specification.  DHTML is the merging of HTML and JavaScript and CCS (Cascading Style sheets).  Cascading style sheets is a "new" way to add styles and look to your Web pages.  With DHTML we can alter the HTML page while it is being displayed, and provide animated content to the viewer.

 

2. XHTML:  (on-line definition by Webopedia  http://www.webopedia.com/)

Extensible Hypertext Markup Language is a hybrid between HTML and XML specifically designed for Net device displays. XHTML is a markup language written in XML; therefore, it is an XML application.

XHTML uses three XML namespaces (used to qualify element and attributes names by associating them with namespaces identified by URI references. Namespaces prevent identically custom-named tags that may be used in different XML documents from being read the same way), which correspond to three HTML 4.0 DTDs: Strict, Transitional, and Frameset.  When applied to Net devices, XHTML must go through a modularization process. This enables XHTML pages to be read by many different platforms. (PC, PDA, Cellular phones..etc.)

       

        W3C XHTML page:  http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/

 

3. JavaScripts (on-line definition by Webopedia  http://www.webopedia.com/)

A scripting language developed by Netscape to enable Web authors to design interactive web contents.  Although it shares many of the features and structures of the full Java language, it was developed independently. JavaScript can interact with HTML source code, enabling Web authors to spice up their sites with dynamic content. JavaScript is endorsed by a number of software companies and is an open language that anyone can use without purchasing a license. It is supported by recent browsers from Netscape and Microsoft, though Internet Explorer supports only a subset, which Microsoft calls Jscript.

One major use of web-based JavaScript is to write functions that are embedded in or included from HTML pages and interact with the Document Object Model (DOM) of the page to perform tasks not possible in HTML alone.  (cited from wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javascript )

Some common examples of this usage follow.

	Opening or popping up a new window with programmatic control over the size, position and 'look' of the new window (i.e. whether or not the menus, toolbars etc are visible).
	validation of web form input values to make sure that they will be accepted before they are submitted to the server.
	Changing images as the mouse cursor moves over them: This effect is often used to draw the user's attention to important links displayed as graphical elements.

(cited from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javascript )

 

Example: 

<html>
<body>
<br>
This is a normal HTML document.
<br>
  <script language="JavaScript">
    document.write("This is JavaScript!")
  </script>
<br>
Back in HTML again.
</body>
</html>

Client-side Applications:  Viewers (Plug-ins)

Two types of map clients:

1. HTML or DHTML version with JavaScripts (No viewers or plug-ins required)

2. Viewer version: Most of current Internet Map Server will require users to download and install a specialized "Viewer" or "Plug-ins" on their local machines.  The main reason for that is the current design of the Web browser doesn't provide vector-display and mapping functions (symbols, projection. etc.).  These "Viewers" can extend the original function of the Web browser to become a "Map" browser.

 

What is the "Viewer" or "Plug-in" for the Web Browser?

Web Plug-ins are software applications which can work with the Web browsers to access specific data formats or perform unique multimedia functions that the Web browsers alone can not handle.  The development of Web-based plug-ins models was first introduced by the Netscape with its Web browser, the Netscape Navigators (this software was renamed to the Communicator later on). Another popular Web browser, the Internet Explorer developed by Microsoft, also adopted similar plug-in models in the ActiveX control framework later.

Since the early development of these Web browsers mainly focus on the hypertext and limited image display, the display capability of Web browsers does not include multimedia files or 3D representations, such as Apple�s Quicktime movies files or Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML) files. Therefore, many different types of Web plug-ins were developed for extending the limited functions of generic web browser, such as the VRML viewer, Quicktime movie players, etc. The use of Web plug-in model introduces a more flexible software model to access new data or multimedia files for the World Wide Web.

Traditionally, the display of multimedia files in a web document is defined in the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) table (Figure 5.1). The development of MIME was originally proposed as a way attach non-textual information to e-mail messages. With the growth of World Wide Web, the MIME specifications become the standard way to register multimedia files and different types of data formats with their software applications. The MIME table stored in a web server can tell the client-side browser that which file types will need to be opened by which applications. For example, if the browser encouters the "avi" video format, the Web browser will launch the Microsoft Media Player to play the video file on the browser window.

Figure 5.1 The MIME configuration on a Web server.

The design of MIME allows Web browsers to look for different type of multimedia files and open them with associated software applications. However, if a new media format is not specified in the MIME tables, Web browser may not be able to display the new data objects or multimedia files. By introducing the plug-in model for the Web browsers, the client web browser can access new data formats which may not be defined in the original MIME table and display new types of data or multimedia presentation automatically.

The Web plug-in model use two special HTML tag for indicating the new data format, the <EMBED> tag and the <OBJECT> tag.

	The <EMBED> tag was introduced by the Netscape Navigator first.
	The <OBJECT> tag was introduced by Microsoft Internet Explorer and then was adopted in the HTML 4.0 specification by W3C.

These HTML tags can be used to specify the plug-in folders and programs to handle the new form of data. and use the HTML. The benefits of the Plug-in framework is that? Allow users to handle different types data, sounds, movies, pictures, etc. The following HTML is the example of using <OBJECT> tag and the <EMBED> tag

The following HTML codes is an OBJECT tag example. This HTML is to include a Macromedia Flash movie in a document.

<OBJECT CLASSID="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" WIDTH="100"

HEIGHT="100" CODEBASE="http://active.macromedia.com/flash5/cabs/swflash.cab#version=5,0,0,0">

<PARAM NAME="MOVIE" VALUE="moviename.swf">

<PARAM NAME="PLAY" VALUE="true">

<PARAM NAME="LOOP" VALUE="true">

<PARAM NAME="QUALITY" VALUE="high">

</OBJECT>

The "classid" indicates the identification number of the new flash movie document. The "codebase" attribute tells the browser where to find Flash Player for automatic download. Internet Explorer 3.0 or later on Windows 9x/2000/NT will prompt the user with a dialog asking if they would like to auto-install the plug-in Player if it's not already installed. The param values will tell the plug-in player how to handle the movie (play it in a high quality and in a loop).

"HTML 4 introduces the OBJECT element, which offers an all-purpose solution to generic object inclusion. The OBJECT element allows HTML authors to specify everything required by an object for its presentation by a user agent: source code, initial values, and run-time data." (W3C, HTML 4.0)

Besides the use of <OBJECT> tag, the <EMBED> tag is another popular example for adding plug-in model in the Web document. The EMBED tag allow users to display output from a plug-in application in an HTML document. The plug-in application must be installed first in the local machine. When the Embed tag loaded, then the plug-in runs automatically.

<EMBED src="mysound.mid" width="145" height="60" align="right"></EMBED>

HTML is Browser/Machine indepenent,  "Plug-ins" are NOT.  Different machines or different web browsers require different plug-ins software.

 

How to distribute the Web "Plug-ins" automatically for different Web browsers?

 

By using the <OBJECT> or <EMBED> tag, web browsers can access new types of multimedia files automatically and download plug-in software automatically. But the problems is that the different platforms and browsers may need difficult version of plug-ins. One possible solution is to detect the working environment in the Web-browser side and automatically to choose the right version for the plug-in download.

Recently, many web documents us a new types of scripting language, JavaScripts, to simplify the processes of plug-in download and provide automatically services. By using Java Scripts, the server can detect what kind of Web browser and OS was running on the client side, then the server can provide appropriate version for the downloading. Smart detection about the plug-in. By using JavaScripts, the server can also detect user�s machines and their operating systems. Because the HTTP 1.1 specification already indicate the information called "User Agent" and the information can be retrieved from is the example:

A Internet Explorer 5.5 running on a Windows 2000 Professional box send a User Agent header strings as the following:

User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows NT 5.0)

An Nescape running on a Macintosh will look like that

User Agent: Mozilla/4.5 (Macintosh; U; PPC).

Therefore, we can use JavaScripts to retrieve these client-side information to servers and then provide appropriate version of plug-in software automatically to download.  The following example ArcIMS Java Viewer installation can automatically detect the browser and software configuration on the client machine.

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

<html>

<head>

<title>ARCIMS 3.0 Viewer - Checking Browser</title>

</head>

<body>

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" TYPE="text/javascript">

var browser = navigator.appName;

if (browser.indexOf("Explorer")==-1) {

document.location="netscape.htm";

} else {

document.location="ie.htm";

}

	</SCRIPT>

</body>

</html>

 

 

Server-side Applications:  Three-tier Architecture

Major components:

Web Server (HTTP server)

Internet Map Engine (Map Server, Rendering services)

Database server (Data conversion, Data access and management)

Management tools (Administration, Authoring, and Publishing)

 

Architecture: 

THREE TIER:    CLIENT ---  WEB SERVER (APPLICATION) -- DATABASE

WHY "three-tier"? (The magic word)

Flexible: add new machines for more clients, change systems configurations.

Customizable: easier to customize the user interface without changing the whole services.  or add new layers (theme) to the services.

Robust: reduce the chance for system crash or data lost. 

 

WEEK SIX (Session Two):

 

Introduce your own student web design.

HTTP://geoinfo.sdsu.edu/583student

On-line Forum Discussion

Blackboard URL: https://blackboard.sdsu.edu/

 

Software Solutions for Internet Map Servers.

Currently, the GIS industry is developing several software packages to provide on-line mapping functions, such as ESRI�s ArcIMS, AutoDesk's MapGuide, INTERGRAPH�s GeoMedia Web Map, and SmallWorld�s Internet Application Server. These software packages adopt different network technologies and software platforms. The architecture of web servers and the design of map display engines are also different among these packages. 

 

ArcIMS Internet Map Server (ESRI product)

Platforms:

	UNIX or Windows NT (2000).
	Web Server with Servlet Engine (not included)
	Application Server (Middle-ware)
	Spatial Server + Database (ArcSDE)

Technologies:

	Remote administration (Servlet Engine)
	Extensible Markup Language (XML) --> ArcXML
	JavaScripts, Java applets and Servlets
	Display: vector (feature server) and raster (image server)
	Client browser: HTML version or Java applets version.

Software demos:

SANDAG ArcIMS Interactive Maps http://www.sandag.org/index.asp?subclassid=70&fuseaction=home.subclasshome

World Population: (Customized ArcIMS User Interface). by (Jing-Yi Chen). http://geoinfo.sdsu.edu/Website/Population2_3/viewer.htm

 

 

AutoDesk MapGuide 

Platforms:

	Windows NT or 2000.
	Web Server (IIS) or Netscape Enterprise.
	Database connection:  OLE-DB or ODBC
	Database support: Oracles 8i and Microsoft SQL server

Technologies:

	Spatial Data Files (SDFs)
	Microsoft COM-based development environment.
	Client: Active CGM plug-in (Computer Graphics Metafile)
	Display: vector and raster
	Viewer:  Plug-ins and HTML version.

 

GeoMedia Web Map

Platforms:

	Windows NT (2000) only.
	Web Server (IIS) with Active Server Pages (ASP)
	COM + ODBC
	GeoMedia Data Servers --> multiple types of data

Technologies:

	Microsoft COM based technology.
	ActiveX scripting, ActiveX controls, and VB Script
	Client: Arctive CGM plug-in (Computer Graphics Metafile)
	Display: vector -- ActiveCGM + MDF (Map definition Files)              raster -- GeoTIFF, JPEG, GIF, INTERGRAPH

 

SmallWorld   Internet Application Server.

Platforms:

	Intel chip platforms: Windows NT (2000) or RedHat Linux 6.1.
	Web Server: IIS (win), Netscape Enterprise, or Apache (Linux)
	Smallworld 3 core products and extended services
	Middle-ware: CGI or Servlet Engine (not included).

Technologies:

	Conform to OpenGIS WMT (Web Mapping Test-bed) specification.
	Smallworld Magik for developing new services
	Standard Transforms. (data conversion)
	Smallworld: Object-Oriented GIS
	Client browser: HTML version or Java version (Java applets or Java applications).

 

MapServer (Freeware): http://mapserver.org/

MapServer is an OpenSource development environment for building spatially enabled Internet applications developed by the University of Minnesota. The software builds upon other popular OpenSource or freeware systems like Shapelib, FreeType, Proj.4, libTIFF, Perl and others. MapServer focus on the "geographic image maps" solution (similar to the Xerox Map Server example).

 

Anatomy of a MapServer Application

 

Common GIS (European product): 

Common GIS envisions the dissemination and exploitation of geodata to a broad cross-section of the public. The key-concept is to make geo-data commonly accessible and usable for everyone, from everywhere, by providing a WWW-based Geographical Information System (GIS) with specific functions for the automatic generation of thematic maps.

�

EASy Software : http://www.netmarkscom.com/ssa/products.html  

With OpenDAP protocol ( http://opendap.org/  )

 

 

GEOServer:  http://geoserver.org/

GeoServer is an open source software server written in Java that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Designed for interoperability, it publishes data from any major spatial data source using open standards.

GeoServer is the reference implementation of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Coverage Service (WCS) standards, as well as a high performance certified compliant Web Map Service (WMS). GeoServer forms a core component of the Geospatial Web.

 

 

OpenLayers  (Freeware): http://openlayers.org/

OpenLayers is a pure JavaScript library for displaying map data in most modern web browsers, with no server-side dependencies. OpenLayers implements a (still-developing) JavaScript API for building rich web-based geographic applications, similar to the Google Maps and MSN Virtual Earth APIs, with one important difference -- OpenLayers is Free Software, developed for and by the Open Source software community.

 

OpenLayers is a project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation.

Furthermore, OpenLayers implements industry-standard methods for geographic data access, such as the OpenGIS Consortium's Web Mapping Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS) protocols. Under the hood, OpenLayers is written in object-oriented JavaScript, using components from Prototype.js and the Rico library. The OpenLayers code base already has hundreds of unit tests, via the Test.AnotherWay framework.

As a framework, OpenLayers is intended to separate map tools from map data so that all the tools can operate on all the data sources. This separation breaks the proprietary silos that earlier GIS revolutions have taught civilization to avoid. The mapping revolution on the public Web should benefit from the experience of history.

 

The Opensource GIS white paper.

http://geoinfo.sdsu.edu/hightech/WhitePaper/tsou_free-GIS-for-educators-whitepaper.pdf

 

CartoDB: https://cartodb.com/ 

CartoDB is a Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud computing platform that provides GIS and web mapping tools for display in a web browser. CartoDB users can use the company's free platform or deploy their own instance of the open source software. 

CartoDB was built on open source software including PostGIS and PostgreSQL. The tool usesJavaScript extensively in the front end web application, back end Node.js based APIs, and for client libraries  (Source: Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CartoDB  )





MapBOX  https://www.mapbox.com/ 

Mapbox is a large provider of custom online maps for websites such as Foursquare, Pinterest, Evernote, the Financial Times, The Weather Channel and Uber Technologies.[2] Since 2010, it has rapidly expanded the niche of custom maps, as a response to the limited choice offered by map providers such as Google Maps.[2] Mapbox is the creator of, or a significant contributor to some open source mapping libraries and applications, including the MBTiles specification, the TileMill cartography IDE, the Leaflet JavaScript library, and the CartoCSS map styling language and parser.  (source: wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapbox ) The technology is based on Node.js,[5] CouchDB, Mapnik, GDAL, and Leafletjs.





 

 

  
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