The Effectiveness of OpenLayers Within a Map Mashup: A Case Study Using the Gazetteer for Scotland
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Date
13//2/07/0Item status
Restricted AccessAuthor
Schmiz, Peter
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Abstract
Open source technologies for geospatial data have dramatically expanded over the
last decade. A new mapping application for the Gazetteer for Scotland (GfS) was
created by following the Open Web Mapping approach, which describes how the
combination of geospatial Open Standards and open source software (OSS) allows
to create powerful and sophisticated map mashups. The study of the pros and
cons of Open Web Mapping revealed the benefits of this approach for the GfS’s
mapping application. The use of OpenLayers as the client-side technology proved
to have several advantages which are discussed in this paper. The paper also
focuses on the development of a modern and appropriate User Interface (UI) design
for the GfS. User surveys and a critical evaluation of both the old and new map
interface helped to develop a mapping application which combines important UI
design principles and the implementation of new map layers and functionality.
An analysis of the interests and browsing behaviours of the GfS users enabled
the creation of a customised set of information and functionality. OpenLayers
provided an excellent basis for the implementation of standardised data formats
from different sources and a flexible way to implement the functionality needed to
create the mapping application for the GfS.