Mapbender
Encyclopedia
Mapbender is a graduated project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation
. Read more about Mapbender in the project Wiki.
software implemented in PHP
and JavaScript
, the configuration resides in a data model stored in a PostgreSQL
PostGIS
or MySQL
database. It is developed as an open source
project and licensed by the GNU GPL
as free software
. Mapbender is a framework for managing spatial data services that are standardized following the OGC
specifications OWS
, WMS
and WFS
and using the formats GeoRSS
and GML
and Web Map Context. The framework implements user management, authentication and authorization. Management interfaces for user, group and service administration are stored as configurations in the database.
The software is used to display, overlay, edit and manage distributed Web Map Service
s. The maps themselves are generated by Server
software. From this perspective Mapbender is a client
software. The client interfaces are generated dynamically by PHP scripts on the Mapbender Server.
User interfaces can be started parameterized with a bounding box, set of services and set of activated layers. The module list is maintained in the Mapbender Wiki.
. Due to some glitches in early GIS
history with Coordinate system
s, Cartesian coordinate system
s and Surveying
this can sometimes be somewhat complex. A good example is the Axis Order Confusion explained in the OSGeo Wiki.
The Mapbender software covers the following topics:
Open Source Geospatial Foundation
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation , is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies and data. The foundation was formed in February 2006 to provide financial, organizational and legal support to...
. Read more about Mapbender in the project Wiki.
Introduction
Mapbender is a web mappingWeb mapping
Web mapping is the process of designing, implementing, generating and delivering maps on the World Wide Web and its product. While web mapping primarily deals with technological issues, web cartography additionally studies theoretic aspects: the use of web maps, the evaluation and optimization of...
software implemented in PHP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
and JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
, the configuration resides in a data model stored in a PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system available for many platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, MS Windows and Mac OS X. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, which is an MIT-style license, and is thus free and open source software...
PostGIS
PostGIS
PostGIS is an open source software program that adds support for geographic objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database. PostGIS follows the Simple Features for SQL specification from the Open Geospatial Consortium .-Features:...
or MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
database. It is developed as an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
project and licensed by the GNU GPL
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
as free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
. Mapbender is a framework for managing spatial data services that are standardized following the OGC
Open Geospatial Consortium
The Open Geospatial Consortium , an international voluntary consensus standards organization, originated in 1994. In the OGC, more than 400 commercial, governmental, nonprofit and research organizations worldwide collaborate in a consensus process encouraging development and implementation of open...
specifications OWS
Open Geospatial Consortium
The Open Geospatial Consortium , an international voluntary consensus standards organization, originated in 1994. In the OGC, more than 400 commercial, governmental, nonprofit and research organizations worldwide collaborate in a consensus process encouraging development and implementation of open...
, WMS
Web Map Service
A Web Map Service is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet that are generated by a map server using data from a GIS database...
and WFS
Web Feature Service
The Open Geospatial Consortium Web Feature Service Interface Standard provides an interface allowing requests for geographical features across the web using platform-independent calls...
and using the formats GeoRSS
GeoRSS
GeoRSS is an emerging standard for encoding location as part of a Web feed. GeoRSS is an emerging standard for encoding location as part of a Web feed. GeoRSS is an emerging standard for encoding location as part of a Web feed. (Web feeds are used to describe feeds ("channels") of content, such as...
and GML
Geography Markup Language
The Geography Markup Language is the XML grammar defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium to express geographical features. GML serves as a modeling language for geographic systems as well as an open interchange format for geographic transactions on the Internet...
and Web Map Context. The framework implements user management, authentication and authorization. Management interfaces for user, group and service administration are stored as configurations in the database.
The software is used to display, overlay, edit and manage distributed Web Map Service
Web Map Service
A Web Map Service is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet that are generated by a map server using data from a GIS database...
s. The maps themselves are generated by Server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
software. From this perspective Mapbender is a client
Client (computing)
A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
software. The client interfaces are generated dynamically by PHP scripts on the Mapbender Server.
User Interface
User interfaces are created using forms of the same web based type. User interfaces contain elements (buttons, maps, legends, links), each has associated HTML attributes, path to PHP modules or JavaScript code which are stored in the database. Basic modules implement:- zoom in and out
- pan map
- click and query (OGC WMS GetFeatureInfo)
- turn layers on and off
- move to coordinate (zoom to)
- get coordinate (mouse click)
- digitize (add new points, lines, polygons; this requires transactional WFS)
- load map services (OGC WMS)
- reorder and remove map services
- show legend
- search interfaces
- store current map composition as OGC Web Map Context document
User interfaces can be started parameterized with a bounding box, set of services and set of activated layers. The module list is maintained in the Mapbender Wiki.
Administration Interfaces
Administration interfaces are user interfaces with administration modules. This makes administration highly flexible and multi client capable (both multiple interfaces and user/group permission). Administration modules include management (add, edit, remove) of:- users
- groups
- interfaces (GUI)
- WMS services
- WFS and transactional WFS services
- OWS Security Proxy
- Metadata
- Log and protocol
- Service monitor
Categorization
Mapbender is designed to manage loosely coupled web services in a service-oriented architectureService-oriented architecture
In software engineering, a Service-Oriented Architecture is a set of principles and methodologies for designing and developing software in the form of interoperable services. These services are well-defined business functionalities that are built as software components that can be reused for...
. Due to some glitches in early GIS
Geographic Information System
A geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
history with Coordinate system
Coordinate system
In geometry, a coordinate system is a system which uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine the position of a point or other geometric element. The order of the coordinates is significant and they are sometimes identified by their position in an ordered tuple and sometimes by...
s, Cartesian coordinate system
Cartesian coordinate system
A Cartesian coordinate system specifies each point uniquely in a plane by a pair of numerical coordinates, which are the signed distances from the point to two fixed perpendicular directed lines, measured in the same unit of length...
s and Surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
this can sometimes be somewhat complex. A good example is the Axis Order Confusion explained in the OSGeo Wiki.
The Mapbender software covers the following topics:
- Web-GIS Client (OGC WMS, WFS, Catalog Service Client)
- Geo-CMS (Content Management System)
- Web-based Digitizing/Editing Functionality (OGC WSF-T Client)
- Service Meta Information Broker (ISO 19-hundred Series)
- Catalog System (ISO 19119 Service Meta Data)
- Security Management (Authentication, Authorization, SSO Secure Service)
- Accounting Management (Logging)
- Spatial Web Services Orchestrating
External links
- Mapbender Gallery.
- Official Homepage: http://www.mapbender.org
- Mailing list subscription: Mapbender Mailing Lists
- Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org/ (OSGeo)
- Mapbender Trac
- Mapbender on ohloh