This book is organized into 14 chapters and 2 appendixes:
This chapter introduces digital mapping, including web mapping, and presents some of the barriers to using the technology. It also includes a list of web sites providing web mapping services and outlines the technology required to do web mapping.
This chapter outlines the goals of digital mapping and the common types of tasks involved including viewing, analysis, creating/manipulating, conversion, and sharing.
This chapter introduces the concepts of raster and vector data types, and the main tools used in this book: OpenEV, MapServer, GDAL, OGR, and PostGIS.
In this chapter, we walk through the main components of MapServer applications. You’ll find detailed instructions for installing binaries or compiling MapServer from source. The chapter also provides a list of MapServer support contacts.
This chapter discusses how to assess your data needs and acquire data to meet those needs. It provides a list of resources for finding free mapping data.
This chapter covers setting up the FWTools package and using GDAL/OGR utilities for examining raster and vector datasets. Here you’ll find examples that combine these utilities with command-line text processing tools to produce customized reports and summaries.
This chapter shows how to convert raster and vector data between formats using GDAL/OGR utilities. You’ll learn how to convert between formats such as ESRI shapefiles, GML, DGN, and PostGIS formats.
This chapter provides a list of desktop mapping programs. It also introduces OpenEV as a desktop mapping program and walks through common tools in OpenEV. Here, you’ll find examples of color-theming and preparing 3D views.
This chapter discusses what to consider when preparing to create your own data. You’ll use OpenEV to digitize and draw new features into a shapefile.
In this chapter, you’ll use command-line MapServer programs to create map images, scalebars, and legends. You’ll use configuration files—a.k.a. map files—to create color-themed and labeled maps.
This chapter studies how to set up MapServer for use with a web server. It builds on Chapter 10, making the mapping application available through a web page. You’ll learn how to add HTML components for zooming, layer control, and reference maps.
This chapter introduces the concept of web services and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications. It focuses on Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS). You’ll find manual URL creation and MapServer configuration examples.
This chapter introduces the PostGIS extension to the PostgreSQL database. Here, you find installation guidelines and resources for Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. It also describes loading data into a PostGIS database, creating queries using SQL, and adding PostGIS data sources into MapServer applications.
In this chapter, you’ll find out how to install or compile MapScript for various languages. The chapter introduces the main MapScript objects and provides examples of MapServer map files and Python code for drawing maps. It also includes examples of code in several languages.
This appendix discusses coordinate systems and projections and introduces the main classes of projections and their use. It also explains EPSG codes and provides visual examples of several projections and associated MapServer map file syntax.
This appendix describes different types of vector data sources and presents a comprehensive guide to 15 vector data formats MapServer can use. Here, you’ll find map file syntax for native MapServer formats and for those accessed through the OGR library.