MapServer

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MapServer
Developer(s) Stephen Lime
Stable release 5.4.2 / 2009-07-23; 14 years ago
Platform Cross-platform
Type GIS software (compare)
License X/MIT
Website http://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. MapServer was 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.[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]

ArcGIS Software

MapServer is also an ArcGIS Server software component that provides programmatic access to the contents of a map document on disk and creates images of the map contents based on user requests. It is designed for use in building map-based Web services and Web applications using ArcGIS Server.[5]

References

  1. Ojeda-Zapata, Julio (June 17, 2005). "Minnesota's MapServer flourishes in hot Web-based mapping sector". Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota). 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Schutzberg, Adena (November 28, 2005). "MapServer Community, Autodesk Announce MapServer Foundation". directionsmag.org. http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2037&trv=1. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Grimes, Brad and Joab Jackson (May 1, 2006). "What’s in an open-source name?". Government Computer News. http://www.gcn.com/print/25_10/40589-1.html. 
  4. Schuyler Erle (February 4, 2006). "Introducing… the Open Source Geospatial Foundation!". mappinghacks.com. http://mappinghacks.com/2006/02/04/introducing-the-open-source-geospatial-foundation/. 
  5. Class: MapServer. ArcGIS Engine Java API Specification v9.1. ESRI Developer Network. Accessed 28 May 2010.

See also

  • MapServer History - a history of the MapServer project
  • FWTools – a cross-platform open source GIS software bundle, including MapServer
  • TopoQuest - Topographic map viewer using the technology

External links