Sebastian Schmitz wrote:
Hi,
for some time now there has been discussion about integration of
OpenLayers into Mapbender as map tool box. Discussion started last year
in September at FOSS4G in a meeting room in Lausanne. Interest was great
to do this and it seemed a good idea. Then nothing really happened.
Hi,
a lot happened internally in Mapbender in preparation for the OL integration.
http://www.mapbender.org/index.php/Open_layers
But before this can actually happen some internal redisgn has to take place
http://www.mapbender.org/index.php/Redesign
The discussion has been revived recently through OGC expressing strong
interest for KML in Mapbender, so they included that within OWS-5. As
OpenLayers provides (basic) KML support already, the idea is to take
this opportunity and integrate OpenLayers into Mapbender and then do the
KML work within OpenLayers. Within OWS-5 other porjects will advance KML
support in OpenLayers (Mapbuilder, TOPP), which may/should/will become
the OpenSource KML library of choice.
For the context of the OWS-5 testbed the Mapbender project could alternatively also provide for implementation experience from a different perspective. We will discuss this in a live meeting in Bonn on Monday next week (right before the IRC meeting). We can continue the discussion there.
Now, I am not really a developer and would like you devs to discuss
this, so we can decide on the issue.
Do we want this?
Yes, but we should carefully evaluate on how we want to do it. One user brought up the idea to use Mapbender as the web based configuration tool to write OpenLayers applications. This way it would be easy for a Mapbender portal operator to deploy custom slippy-map applications with OpenLayers without the need to manually write a JavaScript files. ALl the service information and even the authentication and authorization modules of Mapbender could be used.
What are advantages of having an independently maintained map toolbox?
It seems like OL is growing to be one of the main map window libraries hence it
will experience steady growth and receive a lot of support which results in
good, stable software.
What are pitfalls?
Once OL is fat and slow (like Mapbender already is) it will be more difficult to implement new functionality because so many depend on the existing one.
How much effort will be required?
Hard to estimate, we will have to wait for the report from the Redesign
Workgroup.
Can we have a partial integration? Can we not?
Maybe a partial integration would be something like the idea discussed above?
Cheers
Sebastian
Regards, Arnulf.
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