MapServer

Summary
Type of tool	Application
Function	Serving maps for the web
Online / Desktop	Server with online map viewing
Computer infrastructure	Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Solaris. Requires a web server
Development status	Active and well developed. Version 5.0  September 2007
Time of use	Data creation. At time of user request
Licence	Open Source

MapServer is a web-based mapping tool.

 

Description

MapServer is an Open Source development environment for building spatially-enabled internet applications. MapServer is not a full-featured GIS system, nor does it aspire to be. Instead, MapServer excels at rendering spatial data (maps, images, and vector data) for the web.

 

Beyond browsing GIS data, MapServer allows you create "geographic image maps", that is, maps that can direct users to content.1

 

MapServer supports Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards, including Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS). MapServer works with PostgreSQL and its PostGIS extension, and supports proprietary GIS formats including ESRI's Shapefile format.2

 

In its most basic form, MapServer is a CGI program that sits inactive on your Web server. When a request is sent to MapServer, it uses information passed in the request URL and the Map File to create an image of the requested map. The request may also return images for legends, scale bars, reference maps, and values passed as CGI variables.3

 

MapServer can be greatly extended and customized. It can be built to support many different input data formats and output types. This is done at the time the MapServer binary is compiled. See the MapServer Home Page for a full list of current features. Many of the features that are not 'built-in', are enabled through the use of OGR, a library of tools giving access to GIS file formats.4

 

MapScript provides a scripting interface for MapServer for the construction of Web and stand-alone applications. MapScript is used independently of CGI MapServer, it is a loadable module that adds MapServer capability to your favourite scripting language. MapScript currently exists in PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby, Tcl, Java, and C# flavours.5

 

 

A conceptual diagram of a typical MapServer application.6

 

Features7

• Advanced cartographic output
  • Scale dependent feature drawing and application execution
  • Feature labelling including label collision mediation
  • Fully customizable, template driven output
  • TrueType fonts
  • Map element automation (scalebar, reference map, and legend)
  • Thematic mapping using logical- or regular expression-based classes
• Support for popular scripting and development environments
• PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, Java, and C#
• Cross-platform support
  • Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris, and more
• A multitude of raster and vector data formats
  • TIFF/GeoTIFF, EPPL7, and many others via GDAL
  • ESRI shapefiles, PostGIS, ESRI ArcSDE, Oracle Spatial, MySQL and many others via OGR
  • Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web specifications
    • WMS (client/server), non-transactional WFS (client/server), WMC, WCS, Filter Encoding, SLD, GML, SOS
• Map projection support

 

MapServer was originally developed by the University of Minnesota (UMN) ForNet project in cooperation with NASA and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR). Presently, the MapServer project is hosted by the TerraSIP project, a NASA sponsored project between the UMN and consortium of land management interests.

 

The software is maintained by a growing number of developers (nearing 20) from around the world and is supported by a diverse group of organizations that fund enhancements and maintenance.8

 

Function

• Visualisation tools
  • Maps
• User interface
  • Visual presentation

 

Why use this tool?

• To deliver maps to the desktop

 

 Who will use this tool?

• ALA infrastructure

 

Skills

In addition to learning how the different components of a MapServer application work together and learning Map File syntax, building a basic application requires some conceptual understanding and proficiency in several skill areas.

 

You need to be able to create or at least modify HTML pages and understand how HTML forms work. Since the primary purpose of a MapServer application is to create maps, you will also need to understand the basics of geographic data and likely, map projections. As your applications get more complex, skills in SQL, DHTML/JavaScript, Java, databases, expressions, compiling, and scripting may be very useful.9

 

 How will the tool be used?

• MapServer is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, Solaris and more.
• Source code is available
• Server application
• An HTTP web server is required

 

 Where in the data chain could this tool be used?

• ALA central

 

 When could this tool be used?

• At the time of a user request

 

Availability

• MapServer: http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/
• Download: http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/download/current
• Documentation: http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/docs (extensive)
• Community: http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/community
• Licence: no restrictions http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/License
• Some portions are copyright State of Minnesota, Land Management Information Center10
• Cost: free
• Open source. Free to use, copy, redistribute, modify, sell.
• No warranty

 

Comments

 

 

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