![]() In contrast, the current version OpenLayers 6 is still backwards compatible to previous versions of OpenLayers 3. In 2014, OpenLayers 3 was released which was major step because it was a complete rewrite of the library not compatible with the OpenLayers 2 branch anymore. Although OpenLayers is not as approachable for beginners as some of the other APIs, its accumulation of online help resources, and its support for many layer types from both FOSS and commercial sources offer some advantage over other APIs. This community has created a mass of tips and examples on forums such as GIS Stack Exchange. One of nicest things about OpenLayers is the large developer community using the API. It has an extensive collection of documentation and samples, although some of the materials can be difficult for beginners to grasp. OpenLayers is a mature and richly featured JavaScript API for building web map applications. Examples of FOSS web mapping APIsīelow are some examples of FOSS web mapping APIs for building browser-based apps with HTML and JavaScript. ![]() Most FOSS APIs for web mapping are geared toward an HTML and JavaScript approach, so this is what we'll focus on in Geog 585. However, knowledge of HTML and JavaScript is usually sufficient to build browser-based apps. If you have people on staff who know Java or Objective C, your options increase for developing native mobile apps. Developing a native app most likely means that you'll be using Java, while developing a browser-based app allows more flexibility and can be done with JavaScript and HTML, perhaps employing an API that's designed to be mobile-friendly (in other words, it supports touch gestures, resizes to device width, and so forth).įrom this example, you can probably also tell that it's important to consider which languages and platforms your developers are familiar with. For example, if you know that your application is required to run on Android tablets, you first need to decide whether you are going to build a full-fledged native app (in other words, one that is available in Google Play and has access to the device hardware such as the camera) or one that simply runs in a web browser on the Android tablet. These two factors affect the APIs available to you. The selection of an API is often tightly coupled with the decision of a platform and programming language. How can you select an API that will be the best fit for your requirements and skill set? If your application is large in scope with many clients, this one decision can affect your professional activities and trajectory for years. When you set out to create a web map, one of the most important choices you will make is which API to use. ![]() NET Framework are typically programmed using the C# or Visual Basic languages. NET Framework is solely an API there is no language called. The Java language is used to work with the Java API (and other APIs). For example, there is both a language and an API named Java. Some APIs are supported for use with multiple programming languages and other APIs are tied to one specific language. This lesson introduces some of the different APIs and application development approaches, then gets into detail on how to use the Leaflet API.īe aware that an API is not a programming language rather, it is a set of building blocks that you invoke using a language. The latter two are even more specific in that they are designed around particular proprietary platforms. For example, you may have heard of Google App Engine, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Windows Azure that are designed for proprietary cloud computing environments.ĪPIs designed specifically for the purpose of making web maps include OpenLayers, Leaflet, the Google Maps API, and the ArcGIS API for JavaScript. There are also more specialized APIs built around certain products and functionalities. NET Framework that can be used to write all kinds of programs on desktop, web, and mobile platforms. You've probably heard of general purpose APIs such as Java and the Microsoft. The API abstracts the complexity of the task and makes it easy for you to focus on the mapping aspects of your application, rather than spending time on the low-level logistics. Instead, you can just create a new map object, create a new layer object, and call some method such as layer.addTo(map). For example, web mapping APIs typically include classes for maps and layers so that you don't have to write all the low-level code for displaying an interactive map image and drawing a new layer on it. It provides a set of classes and functions that help you avoid writing all the low-level code to perform specific actions. An API (application programming interface) is a framework that you can use to write a program.
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