MapServer

MapServer
Developer(s) Stephen Lime
Initial release 1994 (1994)
Stable release 7.0.0 / July 24, 2015 (2015-07-24)
Written in C / C++
Platform Cross-platform
Type GIS software (compare)
License X/MIT
Website www.mapserver.org

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 (using SWIG). MapServer was developed by the University of Minnesota so, it is often and more specifically referred as "UMN MapServer", to distinguish it from commercial "map server". MapServer was originally developed with support from NASA, which needed a way to make its satellite imagery available to the public.[1]

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 (which now includes MapGuide Open Source).[4]

Timeline

MapServer has had an important role in Web mapping history. The following is a summary of its evolution:

See also

References

  1. Ojeda-Zapata, Julio (June 17, 2005). "Minnesota's MapServer flourishes in hot Web-based mapping sector". Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota).
  2. 1 2 3 Schutzberg, Adena (November 28, 2005). "MapServer Community, Autodesk Announce MapServer Foundation". directionsmag.org.
  3. 1 2 Grimes, Brad and Joab Jackson (May 1, 2006). "What’s in an open-source name?". Government Computer News.
  4. Schuyler Erle (February 4, 2006). "Introducing… the Open Source Geospatial Foundation!". mappinghacks.com.
  5. 1 2 MapServer History
  6. TerraSIP
  7. http://www.dei.isep.ipp.pt/~matos/cadeiras/pjac/sig/oss/lime_plenary.ppt
  8. http://mapserver.org/development/announce/6-4.html
  9. http://www.mapserver.org/development/announce/7-0.html

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, July 28, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.