Build your First GIS Application Step:-1 ( Cont...)

To build your MapServer appication you need to download it
Mapserver is available in different flavors for different platforms
you cam download source code or pre-compiled binaries for your operating system
this is avialble form
OSGEO
MapTools
FGS

maptools.org provides a stand-alone environment that includes Apache http server, MapServer, and PHP MapScript.


Compilation instructions are available for Unix/Linux and Windows, with additional Build Notes for RedHat. Refractions Research Inc also maintains a set of Linux RPMs. If you are on the Windows platform, compilation can be quite challenging, for your first application, it is recommended that you utilize pre-compiled Windows binaries.

Once MapServer is installed, there are two ways that you can test it. First, at the command line, type 'mapserv -v', you should see a message describing your MapServer install, something like:

MapServer version 4.8.0-beta2 OUTPUT=GIF OUTPUT=PNG
OUTPUT=JPEG OUTPUT=WBMP SUPPORTS=PROJ SUPPORTS=FREETYPE
SUPPORTS=WMS_SERVER INPUT=SHAPEFILE DEBUG=MSDEBUG

You can also send a HTTP request directly to the MapServer CGI program without passing any configuration variables (e.g. http://your.domain.name/cgi-bin/ms4/mapserv.exe). If you receive the message, 'No query information to decode. QUERY_STRING not set.', your installation is working.

Start your GIS Application

I discussed about different GIS application available in the market.
We can build our own application depending up on our own choice of interest.
If you start an application from scratch in C#, it will be a basic GIS application and advanced GDI+ programming…
Considering a proverb “Don’t reinvent the Wheel” I will start with how to build the application using Java, C# and Mapserver
Before Going How to build The application i will start with Map server. considering the readers have basic idea about Java, or C# ( One can use the language of their own choice if they are using Visual Studio( Should be suppoeted by CLR).
MapServer
Details already posted in the blog.. but i want to go in depth.. like how to configure .. how to install al all stuff

I will start with Software Requirements
You need a working and properly configured HTTP (Web) server, such as Apache or Microsoft Internet Information Server, on the machine on which you are installing MapServer. If you are on a Windows machine, and you don't have a HTTP server installed, you may want to check out MS4W, which will install a preconfigured HTTP server, MapServer, and more. The FGS Linux Installer provides similar functionality for several Linux distributions.

You will also need a Web browser, and a text editor (vi, emacs, notepad, homesite) to modify your html and Map files.

Build your First MapServer Application
I will start with a demo application which is to be download and need to test later we will see how to build our own custom application
For Building the 1st Application you have to do two steps
Step:- 1
Download Mapserver and make sure it is working Properly
Step:-2
Download demo and run it

Different GIS applications Available Cont..

Proprietary GIS Softwares
Here I will discuss Notable commercial or proprietary GIS software or GIS applications, which are in my scope. Here I am only discussing different GIs applications. I may or may not provide the download information for some products that I mentioned below. I start with

Smallworlddeveloped in Cambridge, England (Smallworld, Inc.) and purchased by General Electric and used primarily by public utilities.

Smallworld was a GIS company founded in Cambridge, England, in 1989 by Dick Newell and others. It grew to become the global market leader for GIS in utilities and communications, according to Daratech. In September 2000, it was acquired by GE Energy, a division of General Electric. While the company name has gone, the Smallworld name lives on as the brand name for the software technology and applications.

All most all Smallworld products are developed in proprietary platform. langage used is magik in most of the cases
Smallworld technology supports application products for Telecommunications, utility and public systems organizations.

Smallworld product portfolio is very bigger it includes Smallworld Core product which is base to all Smallworld products
Smallworld Design Manager
Smallworld Telecom Products like PNI, LNI, …
Smallworld Internet Application server
Smallworld SI
Smallworld Office suite includes Electric Office, Gas distribution Office, Gas Transmission Office.
Smallworld product suite also have Office suite powered by oracle




Microsoft MapPoint
Microsoft MapPoint is both a technology ("MapPoint Web Service," previously known as MapPoint .NET) and a specific software program created by Microsoft that allows users to view, edit and integrate maps. The software and technology are designed to facilitate the geographical visualization and analysis of either included data or custom data. Numerous acquisitions (Vexcel, Vicinity Corporation, GeoTango, etc.) have supplemented both data and feature integration.

· End-user desktop software:
o MapPoint (for North American and Western European business users)
o Microsoft Streets and Trips (for North American home users)
o AutoRoute (for Western European home and small business users)
o Encarta encyclopedia (Atlas functionality)
· Web-based services:
o The Live Search Maps website maps.live.com
o The Microsoft Virtual Earth development platform
§ The MapPoint Web Service using SOAP XML
§ The Virtual Earth Map control, an ActiveX control, which lets users make requests via JavaScript to an AJAX map object

NASA World Wind
WorldWind is a free open source virtual globe developed by NASA and open source community for use on personal computers running Microsoft Windows. The program overlays NASA and USGS satellite imagery, aerial photography, topographic maps and publicly available GIS data on 3D models of the Earth and other planets.

application is developed in c#
WorldWind was released for the first time in 2004 by NASA. The latest version (1.4) developed mainly by open source community members from WorldWind Central/Free Earth Foundation had its premiere on February 14, 2007
download available here


GooGle Maps, GooGle Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. It is available under three different licenses: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality; Google Earth Plus ($20 per year), which includes additional features; and Google Earth Pro ($400 per year), which is intended for commercial use.

Intergraph.
There are many products from Intergraph include GeoMedia, GeoMedia Profesional, GeoMedia WebMap, and add-on products for industry sectors, as well as photogrammetry

ESRI Products include ArcView 3.x, ArcGIS, ArcSDE, ArcIMS, and ArcWeb services.

ArcView 3.x is a geographic information system software product produced by ESRI
ArcView is full-featured geographic information system (GIS) software for visualizing, managing, creating, and analyzing geographic data. Using ArcView, you can understand the geographic context of your data, allowing you to see relationships and identify patterns in new ways. ArcView helps tens of thousands of organizations make better decisions and solve problems faster.
Full details available here



ArcGISis the name of a group of geographic information system software product lines produced by ESRI. At the desktop GIS level, ArcGIS can include: ArcReader, which allows one to view and query maps created with the other Arc products; ArcView, which allows one to view spatial data, create maps, and perform basic spatial analysis; ArcEditor which includes all the functionality of ArcView, includes more advanced tools for manipulation of shapefiles and geodatabases; or ArcInfo the most advanced version of ArcGIS, which includes added capabilities for data manipulation, editing, and analysis. There are also server-based ArcGIS products, as well as ArcGIS products for PDAs. Extensions can be purchased separately to increase the functionality of ArcGIS.



ArcSDE is server software by ESRI that spatially enables a Relational Database Management System. The spatial data may then be used as part of a geodatabase although this is not strictly necessary.

ArcSDE is an application server that facilitates storing and managing spatial data (raster, vector, and survey) in a DBMS and makes the data available to many applications. ArcSDE allows you to manage spatial data in one of four commercial databases (IBM DB2, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle). ArcSDE serves data to the ArcGIS Desktop products (ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcInfo), the ArcGIS development products (ArcGIS Engine and ArcGIS Server), ArcView 3.x and ArcIMS. It is a key component in managing a multi-user GIS.

full details here



ArcIMS (standing for Arc Internet Map Server) is a Web Map Server produced by ESRI. It is a GIS that is designed to serve maps across the Internet. Sometimes these maps are just static images allowing simple panning and zooming, while others are more complex pages. Examples of interactive maps served with ArcIMS include maps with layers that can be turned on and off, or with features containing attributes that can be queried. A visitor to a site driven by ArcIMS needs nothing more than a web browser: the GIS and database are maintained on the server side.
full details here

MapInfo – Products include MapInfo Professional and MapXtreme. integrates GIS software, data and services.


MapInfo ProfessionalMapInfo Professional is a Geographic Information System software product produced by MapInfo Corporation.

MapInfo Professional has the ability to combine and display, on a single map, data from a variety of sources that are in different formats and projections. The software is capable of overlaying raster and vector layers on the same map; the former can be made semi-transparent, so that they can serve as more than mere backdrops.

MapInfo is popular both in business and the public sector, where a typical user is analyzing pre-built map data layers. The software is traditionally desktop-oriented and often compared to ESRI's ArcView 3.x product

still many more applications remaind but i just name them..
CrossView for ArcGIS – created by A-Prime Software, CrossView is a wizard-based ArcGIS plug-in, which enables map cross-sectioning and profile creation.
GeoBase – Geospatial platform developed by Telogis. A particular focus is placed on real-time processing for reverse-geocoding, geofencing, etc.
GGP GIS – created by GGP Systems Ltd, GGP GIS is a GIS application used mainly by UK local authorities.
GeoAgro GIS – created by GeoAgro, GeoAgro GIS is a GIS specialized for agriculture and environmental applications.
ILOG JViews Maps, Java library for map display with overlays as symbols and diagrams.
LandSerf – Free GIS written in Java. Source available but not strictly open source.
Panorama – Russian GIS for military uses.
SPRING – GIS software developed at INPE - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais and available free of charge.
TC Technology – GO! Sync Mapbook, A Mobile GIS mapping application built on ArcGIS Engine. Redlining, Inspections, GPS, Tracing functionality. Eliminates paper maps for field personnel.
TerraLib – GIS class and functions library, available from the Internet as open source, allowing a collaborative environment and its use for the development of multiple GIS tools.
TNTmips – Geospatial analysis system providing a GIS, RDBMS, and automated image processing system with CAD, TIN, surface modeling, and data publishing tools.
SavGIS – Free and complete GIS software available in French, English and Spanish, developed since 1984 by the Development Research French Institute (IRD)
Tilcon GIS Maps – Tilcon - an embedded graphical user interface company produces a GIS application development module.
Scenome – Software for building geo-referenced terrain databases from industry standard GIS formats such as DEM and GEOTIFF.
GDAL – Geo-Data Abstraction Library. Popular open-source product for managing GIS data.
PROJ4 – Popular, open-source product for converting GIS data between projections.
MapTools – Suite of open-source GIS products and platforms.
Spatial Communication – Spatcom (Spatial Communication) is a Free and Share GIS Software with Digital Map Data Made in Indonesia.
OpenStreetMap – Online map viewer, with map editing capability.
Elshayal Smart GIS – The First Arabian GIS Software
Netcad is the first Turkish GIS Software, owned by ULUSAL, with English and Turkish support.

Different GIS applications Available Cont..

MapServer

And this is my favourite. Mapserver is Web-based mapping server, 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

Mapserver is an open source development environment for building spatially-enabled intranet applications.
It can run as a CGI program or via mapserver which supports several programming languages


Mapserver is not complete GIS Application but it excels in rendering…
It facilitates to render the spatial data

Features
· Advanced cartographic output
o Scale dependent feature drawing and application execution
o Feature labeling including label collision mediation
o Fully customizable, template driven output
o TrueType fonts
o Map element automation (scalebar, reference map, and legend)
o Thematic mapping using logical- or regular expression-based classes
· Support for popular scripting and development environments
· PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, Java, and C#
· Cross-platform support
o Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris, and more
· A multitude of raster and vector data formats
o TIFF/GeoTIFF, EPPL7, and many others via GDAL
o ESRI shapfiles, PostGIS, ESRI ArcSDE, Oracle Spatial, MySQL and many others via OGR
o Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web specifications
§ WMS (client/server), non-transactional WFS (client/server), WMC, WCS, Filter Encoding, SLD, GML, SOS
· Map projection support
o On-the-fly map projection with 1000s of projections through the Proj.4 library
· Latest release is 5.0.0/17 on 17th September 2007 available here



Others...


Still There are so many Open source applications available. I am not able to discuss every thing here but I will try at least to name some of them


· SAGA GIS – – System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses- a hybrid GIS software. SAGA has a unique Application Programming Interface (API)and a fast growing set of geoscientifc methods, bundled in exchangeable Module Libraries.
· Quantum GIS – QGIS is a user friendly Open Source GIS that runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, and Windows.
· ILWIS – ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System) integrates image, vector and thematic data.
· Chameleon – Environments for building applications with MapServer.
· GeoNetwork opensource – A catalog application to manage spatially referenced resources
· GeoTools – Open source GIS toolkit written in Java, using Open Geospatial Consortium specifications.
· JUMP GIS – Java Unified Mapping Platform. (See end of page for JUMP derivative projects, like Kosmo and OpenJUMP)
· MapGuide Open Source – Web-based mapping server.
· OpenLayers – open source AJAX library for accessing geographic data layers of all kinds, originally developed and sponsored by MetaCarta
· PostGIS – Spatial extensions for the open source PostgreSQL database, allowing geospatial queries.
· TerraView – GIS desktop that handles vector and raster data stored in a relational or geo-relational database.
· Xastir A special purpose Open Source GIS application used as an APRS client by Amateur radio operators, written in C for X Window environments.

Different GIS applications Available

For the ease of simplification I divided in to open source and proprietary
Lets start with open source

Open Source Software
First I will go with GRASS.

GRASS
GRASS is Geographic Resources Analysis Support System. This is a open source GIS System originally developed by US Army.
This is released under GPL,
· Available under multiple platforms.
· Supports 2D/3D vector graphics (engines)
· Capable of visualizing 3D vector graphics data and voxel volumes
· Lates release is 6.3.0 on 23rd Aril 2008 available here


MAPWINDOW GIS
Again a Open source GIS Application It has been adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as the primary GIS platform for its BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources) watershed analysis and modeling software.

· MapWindow GIS is distributed as an open source application under the Mozilla Public License
· Build up on Microsoft.Net Technology . so its not multi platform but runs on OS which has a CLR available from MONO Project
· Can be reprogrammabel for doing different ans special tasks
· Latest version is 4.4 relleased on June 6th 2007 can be downloaded from


uDIG

uDig is a GIS software program produced by a community led by Canadian-based consulting company Refractions Research

it is based on Eclipse platform wirtten in Java
· Released under GNU and GPL
· Latest version is 1.06 available at


gvSIG


GvSIG is a open source multi lingual GIS application developed in Java

· Holds both vector and raster data
· Realised under Gnu GPL licence
· Runs on windows, linux, max os
· Vector formats: - shapefile , dxf, dgn, dwg
· Raster formats: - ecw, MrSID, jpeg, jp2,..etc
· Supports Web Map Service (WMS)
· Supports Web Feature Service (WFS)
· Supports Web Coverage Service (WCS)
· Latest Release is 1.1.2 on 4th March 2008
· Download available here

contd..

Build Your GIS Application

This article gives information about how to build a GIS Application. if you are new to GIS then this is the right place to start.

I start with different GIS applications available around. Technology used init… bla .. bla….