Keyhole Markup Language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an XML-based language for managing three-dimensional geospatial data in the program Google Earth, Google Maps and Google Mobile. (The word Keyhole is an earlier name for the software that became Google Earth. The company that produced it was bought by Google.)

The KML file specifies a set of features (placemarks, images, polygons, 3D models, textual descriptions, etc.) for display in Google Earth, Maps and Mobile. Each place always has a longitude and a latitude. Other data can make the view more specific, such as tilt, heading, altitude, which together define a "camera view". KML shares some of the same structural grammar as GML[1]. Some KML information cannot be viewed in Google Maps or Mobile [2].

KML files are very often distributed as KMZ files, which are zipped KML files with a .kmz extension. When a KMZ file is unzipped, a single "doc.kml" is found along with any overlay and icon images referenced in the KML.

Example KML document:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
 <Placemark>
   <description>New York City</description>
   <name>New York City</name>
   <Point>
     <coordinates>-74.006393,40.714172,0</coordinates>
   </Point>
 </Placemark>
 </kml>

[edit] See also

• Geography Markup Language
• CityGML
• GPX

[edit] External links

• Google Earth KML Documentation
• Google Earth KML Tutorial
• Google Earth KML/KMZ Placemarks (37,568 as of 2005-07-11)
• Official Google Earth User Guide - Describes how to use Google Earth
• More Google Earth KML/KMZ Placemarks (14,062 as of 2006-07-13)
• Google Earth - Sightseeing (KMZ files)
• Google Earth Blog Examples and tips on KML and other Google Earth information
• GE Chess: A multiplayer 3D Interactive Chess Game written in KML/PHP
• KML discussion forum
• Convert Google Maps into KML
• Google Earth Connectivity Add-on for ArchiCAD 9
• KMLImporter importing placemarks into NASA World Wind
• Use hierarchical maps Mindmaps to create and manage KML files and link in Excel data.