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Web Mapping and Web Cartography

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Book cover Springer Handbook of Geographic Information

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Abstract

This chapter explains the essence of mapping across the Internet, typical applications, and the Extensible Markup Language (XML) Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) dialect, which is the language most widely used to transmit high-quality vector graphics across the web. The origins of web mapping are discussed in the beginning. Web mapping is based on the invention of the World Wide Web and on a set of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards of which the Web Map Server (WMS) is the best known. Open-source products such as the University of Minnesota (UMN) map server and commercial software such as ArcIMS made web mapping very popular. Though maps are available almost in real time, the bandwidth of the Internet is sometimes not wide enough and slows down the process. There are also open copyright and privacy issues. The different types of web maps are discussed, and the web mapping architecture is outlined. Thereafter, typical applications are presented, such as real-time mapping, location-based services, and urban or regional planning. Regarding vector maps, SVG is the most appropriate language for web mapping. All modern browsers support SVG technology. The chapter explains the details of this language. The painterʼs model of SVG refers to the principle that the last transmitted element is displayed on top of the others. SVG provides a wide toolbox regarding geometry, text and fonts, opacity, filtering, styling, interactivity, scripting, and animation. SVG is extensible towards foreign namespaces in order to include application-dependent extensions.

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Abbreviations

2-D:

two-dimensional

3-D:

three-dimensional

AJAX:

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML

API:

application programming interface

ASP:

Active Server Pages

ASV:

Adobe SVG viewer

ArcIMS:

ArcGIS Internet Map Server

CAD:

computer aided design

CERN:

Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire

CGI:

Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information

CGI:

Common Gateway Interface

CSS:

Cascading Style Sheets

DHTML:

dynamic HTML

DOM:

Document Object Model

DSLR:

digital single-lens reflex

Esri:

Environmental Systems Research Institute

GIF:

graphics interchange format

GIS:

Geographic Information System

GML:

Geography Markup Language

GPS:

Global Positioning System

GUI:

graphical user interface

HTML:

Hypertext Markup Language

HTTP:

Hypertext Transfer Protocol

ID:

identifier

IE:

Internet Explorer

IE:

Interoperability experiment

ISO:

International Organization for Standardization

JPEG:

Joint Photographic Experts Group

KML:

Keyhole Markup Language

LBS:

location-based services

MMS:

Multimedia Messaging Service

MS:

multispectral

NASA:

US National Aeronautical and Space Administration

OGC:

Open Geospatial Consortium

OSGeo:

Open Source Geospatial Foundation

PC:

Personal Computer

PDA:

personal digital assistant

PDF:

portable document format (Adobe)

PNG:

portable network graphics

QGIS:

Quantum GIS

RDF:

Resource Description Framework

RIA:

Rich Internet Applications

SDI:

spatial data infrastructure

SLD:

Styled Layer Descriptor

SMIL:

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language

SQL:

Structured Query Language

SVG:

Scalable Vector Graphics

SWF:

Shockwave Flash

TV:

Television

UI:

User Interface

UMN:

University of Minnesota

URL:

Uniform Resource Locator

USGS:

United States Geological Survey

VML:

Vector Markup Language

W3C:

World Wide Web Consortium

WFS:

Web Feature Service

WMS:

Web Map Server

WPS:

Web Processing Service

XML:

Extensible Markup Language

XSL-FO:

Extensible Stylesheet Language – Formatting Objects

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Construction, City of Uster, Oberlandstrasse 78, 8610, Uster, Switzerland

    Andreas Neumann

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  1. Andreas Neumann
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Correspondence to Andreas Neumann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg, Brodaer Str. 2, 17033, Neubrandenburg, Germany

    Wolfgang Kresse

  2. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 8615 Westwood Center Drive, 22182-2214, Vienna, VA, USA

    David M. Danko

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Neumann, A. (2011). Web Mapping and Web Cartography. In: Kresse, W., Danko, D. (eds) Springer Handbook of Geographic Information. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72680-7_14

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