[webmap-discuss] Choosing a Web Mapping Platform Wiki

[mr]

As the intended audience are beginers, needs a link to peculiar mapping
terminology wikipage which maybe it is not yet available. I don't know
where if ther's..
+ a features comparision table with 1-5, 1-10, checkbox..

I like the 2 main categories and 2 subcategories, perhaps some graphic
improvement to give it a more "tree looking"..

I would delete(i won't do it myself, sorry) "If you are new to this world
... or perhaps have a different type of project that won't work with the
platform that you are familiar with,"
from
"There are a great many web mapping platforms available to someone
starting a new project. If you are new to this world ... or perhaps have a
different type of project that won't work with the platform that you are
familiar with, this page should help you decide which platform is right
for your project."

go on!


> Paul,
> Excellent start here, and next time I get a spare moment, I'd like to
> add to it.
>
> The target audience for this page should be web developers who know
> little or nothing about web mapping.
>
> So we should have a background section describing key issues to consider
> when designing a web application. Ie:
> * Bandwidth associated with sending vector graphics to the client.
> * Benefits of AJAX.
> * Benefits of tiling and caching.
> * Speed of rendering in browser and server.
> * Size of JS sent to client and relate that to time.
> * ...
>
> I agree with Richard that we need a table showing which applications
> provide which features. This should include size of JS downloaded for
> each application.
>
> Users will want to know that the application they fix is going to be
> supported and flexable in the future. So we should discuss WebMap.js,
> how it is being used by applications, whether is will be possible to
> migrate from one application to another in the future if conditions
> change.
>
> Paul Ramsey wrote an excellent "State of Open Source GIS" paper, which
> includes a section describing how to assess Open Source projects.
> http://www.refractions.net/white_papers/oss_briefing/2006-06-OSS-Briefing.pdf
> We should answer these questions for each project:
> * Is the project well document?
> * Is the development team transparent?
> * Is the software modular?
> * How wide is the development community?
> * how wide is the user community?
>
> We should have a section for each application which starts:
> Mapbuilder is ....
> You should choose Mapbuilder if you want ...
> Mapbuilder's future direction is ...
>
> Paul Spencer wrote:
>> Rich,
>>
>> I struggled with wording and have no problems changing it.  Perhaps  we
>> need to develop a dictionary/glossary for web-mapping terms so  that
>> everything we talk about has some static reference point that
>> (hopefully) we agree on.
>>
>> For instance, client can mean:
>>
>> * the application produced by a developer using the toolkit (client -
>> server)
>> * browser technology
>> * person (developer) choosing which toolkit to use
>> * end user of the application that the person (developer) is going to
>> make
>> * person (company) hiring person (developer) to build an application
>> for their clients
>>
>> Expanding the matrix is a bit problematic since we are limited to two
>> dimensions.  I was hoping that it would be somehow really simple.
>> Perhaps the whole thing would be better presented as a flow chart and  a
>> series of binary questions that direct a potential developer.
>>
>> In any case, I was hoping that each project would develop a project
>> profile that highlighted some of the benefits, limitations and use-
>> cases for their projects and that profile would include some of the
>> detail that you are talking about here.
>>
>> Interested in feedback ...
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Paul
>>
>> On 24-Sep-06, at 9:58 AM, Richard Greenwood wrote:
>>
>>> I like the "Choosing a Web Mapping Platform" Wiki that Paul Spencer
>>> started at:
>>>
>>>   http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Choosing_a_Web_Mapping_Platform
>>>
>>> A few questions:
>>>
>>> 1. Is the focus of the Wiki really a Platform, or a Client? It seems
>>> like the focus is on clients and a separate page might be appropriate
>>> for servers. Where platform = server + client.
>>>
>>> 2. How about an expanded matrix detailing more functionality and
>>> requirements like:
>>> - templates (managed / unmanaged) (this is in Paul's matrix)
>>> - consumes (OGC, proprietary, Google, etc.) (Client/Server in  Paul's
>>> matrix)
>>> - server side requirements to support the client
>>> - legend / layer selector
>>> - measure and area tools
>>> - digitizing
>>> - tiled "slippy" map panning
>>> - JavaScript library(s)
>>> - other important stuff
>>> Do other people see value in this level of detail?
>>> Would people from the various projects be willing to provide details
>>> for their projects?
>>> Can an HTML table be put into a Wiki page, or are we limited to  ASCII
>>> art?
>>>
>>> Rich
>>>
>>> --
>>> Richard Greenwood
>>> richard.greenwood at gmail.com
>>> www.greenwoodmap.com
>>>
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>>
>> +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
>> |Paul Spencer                           pspencer at dmsolutions.ca   |
>> +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
>> |Chief Technology Officer                                         |
>> |DM Solutions Group Inc                 http://www.dmsolutions.ca/|
>> +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Cameron Shorter
> http://cameron.shorter.net
>
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