MapGuide Open Source - ottima piattaforma open source per web mapping applications

Tempo fa ho scoperto MapGuide Open Source, una piattaforma open source davvero ottima per sviluppare applicazioni web di mapping e servizi geospaziali. MapGuide possiede un viewer interattivo, e supporta i formati, i database e gli standard geospaziali più popolari. Può essere distribuito su Linux e Windows, supporta i web server Apache e IIS, offre API PHP, .NET, Java e JavaScript. E' distribuito con licenza LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License).

- I principali obiettivi del progetto MapGuide sono:

• use the service-oriented architecture pattern
• fast, scalable, and cross platform
• make use of open source components
• support rich access to spatial data both vector and raster
• provide a full suite of spatial analysis
• produce visually stunning cartographic maps
• include viewers that work within any browser on any platform
• provide the highest degree of map interactivity possible
• offer a single API that works with both vector and raster based client-side viewers
• conform with open standards

- Le caratteristiche del Map Viewer:

Interactive Map Viewing

• Offers an AJAX Viewer (pure DHTML no plug-in required) or a vector-based DWF Viewer (requires an ActiveX Control) with a common user interface and JavaScript API
• AJAX Viewer offers a tiled map display for smooth navigation
• Allows feature selection by point, rectangle, radius, or polygon with immediate feedback
• Displays feature properties in multi-line tool tips
• Displays properties of the selected feature in a property browser panel
• Supports feature buffering, querying features that fall within selected polygons, and a tool for measuring distance
• Provides printing and plotting support

Quality Cartographic Output

• Scale-dependent detail
• Rule-driven thematic layer stylization
• Dynamic labeling with overpost detection, labels that follow the path of a line, and automatic label resizing
• Anti-aliased image rendering
• True color support
• TrueType font support

- Accesso ai dati:

Built-in Resource Database for Manageability

• Provides hierarchical storage of XML resource documents that define maps, layers, data connections, symbology, and viewer layout
• Allows you to define data sources and layers once and then reference them from multiple maps
• Provides an access-based security model with inheritable permissions
• Permits metadata and binary data to be associated with resource documents

Uniform Data Access

• Exclusive use of the Feature Data Objects (FDO) API for vector and raster feature data access
  • Support for ESRI SHP and SDF vector file formats
  • Support for ESRI ArcSDE, MySQL, ODBC database formats
  • Support for Raster file formats via GDAL
  • Support for OGC WMS and WFS
• Exclusive use of DWF for CAD-based data access

- Sviluppo flessibile delle applicazioni e pieno supporto di API server-side:

Flexible Application Development

• Write your application logic once within the web server environment and it will work with either viewer on any client
• Develop your applications in PHP, .NET, or Java

Extensive Server-Side APIs

• Create, query, read, and write permanent and session based XML resource documents
• Query and update feature data across all supported data sources, including spatial and attribute data, and schema discovery
• Perform coordinate reprojection and great circle distance computation
• Create, manipulate, and analyze geometry with support for spatial predicates based on the DE-9IM model, overlay functions (intersection, union, difference, symmetric difference), buffer, convex hull, area, and distance functions
• Produce stylized vector and raster maps and legends
• Manipulate runtime maps and layers, add / remove / change layers, change layer and group visibility, modify the definition of a layer, and alter the current view

- Veloce, scalabile e multi piattaforma:

Fast, Scalable, Secure Server Platform

• Fully multi-threaded and takes advantage of multi-core / multi-processor technology
• Multiple servers can be configured as one logical site to improve scalability
• FastCGI based Map Agent loads once and stays loaded for use with both Apache and Microsoft IIS
• Database connections are pooled and shared between users, improving performance
• Tile caching ensures map image tiles are only rendered once for the AJAX Viewer no matter how many users are viewing the map
• Connection-oriented, role-based security
• Configurable logging of client access, administrative access, authentication attempts, errors, session lifetimes, and request tracing
• Web-based site administration allows remote site and server configuration, and log file access

Multiple Platform Support

• Deploy on Microsoft Windows or Linux
• Serve applications with Apache or Microsoft IIS
• Browse applications with Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari

- Supporto degli standard del Open Geospatial Consortium:

• Web Map Service
• Web Feature Service