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Implementing Internet GIS with Java based Client/Server Environment
 M.N.Babu Beach Sand and Offshore Investigations, AMD, DAE, Thiruvananthapurm, INDIA. Phone: 0471-2345185 e-mail: mnbabuin@yahoo.com Abstract Geographic information system (GIS) has become an indispensable tool for analyzing and managing spatial data. The rapid growth of Internet provides highly customised, accessible and interactive sources of information and has created huge demand for applications that use geographic information system. The broad use of fast, up-to-date, reliable maps on the Internet drive GIS industry for providing continually improving quality of information. Internet GIS technology provides dissemination, sharing, displaying and processing of spatial information over the Internet. Internet based geographical data services mainly involve sharing and management of spatial and non-spatial data. Data pertaining to spatial attributes in a GIS can be efficiently managed with any relational database management system (RDBMS). Databases offer great opportunities to improve individual and organizational productivity to enhance the quality of decision making. When building GIS application for the Internet, developers can choose any number of architectures, technologies and methods to deliver maximum information. Java's open, platform-independent, object-oriented design is an ideal platform for mapping and geographic information system (GIS) solution for developers. eXtensible Markup Language (XML) standards can be used to describe and exchange map data between applications. This paper describes the salient features of a spatial database that was developed by integrating thematic layers stored as feature datasets in MySQL-Relational Database Model into a Java based Client/Server environment. The map data is handled by a set of Java Servlets and user interactivity is made through a Map-Applet which can be downloaded to any client machine by making request to the map server. The system described here aims to provide information on implementing a Client/Server based Internet GIS through a Web-based platform. |