MapServer
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| MapServer | |
|---|---|
| Developed by | Stephen Lime |
| Latest release | 5.0.0 / 17 September 2007 |
| Platform | Linux, Unix, Windows, Mac OS X |
| Genre | GIS software (compare) |
| License | BSD |
| Website | http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/ |
MapServer is an open source development environment for building spatially-enabled internet applications. It can run as a CGI program or via Mapscript which supports several programming languages. MapServer was developed by the University of Minnesota. MapServer was originally developed with support from NASA, which needed a way to make its satellite imagery available to the public.[1]
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[edit] Technical
MapServer supports Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards, including Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS). MapServer works with PostgreSQL and its PostGIS extension, MySQL and its MyGIS extension, and supports proprietary GIS formats including ESRI's Shapefile format. MapServer uses OGR and GDAL libraries to translate files from one file format to another, and libproj to translate between coordinate systems and datums. MapServer exists in Common Gateway Interface (CGI) form as well as MapScript, an extension interface for scripting and customization in PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, Java, and C#.
[edit] Open Source Geospatial Foundation
In November 2005, Autodesk, the MapServer Technical Steering Committee Members, the University of Minnesota, and DM Solutions Group announced the creation of the MapServer Foundation.[2] With this announcement, Autodesk announced that its internet mapping application, MapGuide, would be developed as an open source application with all new code and be named "MapServer Enterprise".[2] The existing MapServer application would be renamed "MapServer Cheetah".[2] This name change was overwhelmingly opposed by the MapServer community.[3] Autodesk then backed off this name change and retained the name, "MapGuide" for its product.[3] Also, plans to establish the MapServer Foundation were scrapped; Instead, the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OsGeo) was established to include MapServer and other open source GIS projects.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Ojeda-Zapata, Julio. "Minnesota's MapServer flourishes in hot Web-based mapping sector", Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota), June 17, 2005.
- ^ a b c Schutzberg, Adena. "MapServer Community, Autodesk Announce MapServer Foundation", directionsmag.org, November 28, 2005.
- ^ a b Grimes, Brad and Joab Jackson. "What’s in an open-source name?", Government Computer News, May 1, 2006.
- ^ Schuyler Erle. "Introducing… the Open Source Geospatial Foundation!", mappinghacks.com, February 4, 2006.
[edit] See also
- FWTools – a cross-platform open source GIS software bundle, including MapServer
