Web Mapping

Requirements

The selected web mapping library is OpenLayers 2.13+.

If required:

  • The web mapping solution can be supported by compatible toolkits, such as GeoExt 1.1+.
  • The web mapping solution can be based on the customisation of existing web map clients, such as GeoExplorer.

Additional JavaScript libraries can be used if required, subject to the global constraints on COTS selection.

Rationale

The purpose of the web mapping component is to support data visualisation (thematic mapping) and geocoding (finding the geographic coordinates associated within geographical names or administrative units).

The web mapping components must comply with the Constraints set on licence compatibility, portability and acquisition cost.

For thematic visualisation purposes, the webmapping component must support the OGC W*S protocols previously identified.

For geocoding purposes, the webmapping component must support access to the GeoNames service.

Analysis of alternatives

The preliminary candidate set was based on an updated version of the OSGEO list of webmapping tools.

The data was updated (last release, activity, licence type, etc.) to provide the necessary information for the application of the selection Constraints on licence type, portability, QSOS maturity criteria (e.g. exclusion of inactive or imature projects) and open standards (e.g. exclusion of ActionScript components).

Integration criteria are subsequently applied: e.g. exclusion of components that are essentially plug-ins for specific platforms (e.g. Plone) or that depend on components otherwise unrequired (e.g. PHP MapScript).

The analysis of alternatives was an update of German Carillo’s Web mapping client comparison v.6 [Carr12]

The following diagram ilustrates the dependencies between the various available alternatives identified in the candidate set.

Dependencies between components

Dependencies between components

The majority of components are based on the GeoExt toolkit and the OpenLayers library which currently the de facto standard for web mapping applications.

In the following table a number of components is identified that have EUPL incompatible licences, or development/API language incompatible with the PT Open Standards regulation, or technical documentation not available in English.

Basic criteria

Todo

Include updated table with the supported protocols.

Examples

The following demos illustrate the use of OpenLayers for:

References

[Carr12]Carillo, G. (2012). Web mapping client comparison v.6. 03 January 2012. http://geotux.tuxfamily.org/index.php/en/geo-blogs/item/291-comparacion-clientes-web-v6