GeoExplorer

Work has started to integrate OpenGeo's GeoExplorer as an alternate/replacement Map Viewing Client.

Why?

• Good for Users to use consistent tools across applications
• Good for Developers to be part of a bigger community
• We want to rewrite to have most of the app in static JavaScript with ​module pattern anyway
  • ease contributions from JavaScript developers (who may be put off the Python part)
  • support caching
• There are some cool features available which we'd like to make use of

Links

• ​Sahana Demo site
• ​OpenGeo Demo site
• ​OpenGeo Wiki
• ​OpenGeo Trunk code
• OpenGeo are using GeoExplorer as part of GeoNode:
  • ​http://geonode.org
  • ​http://dev.geonode.org/trac
• These tools will be merged with GeoExplorer:
  • ​GeoEditor
  • ​Styler

Feature Comparison

GeoExplorer has which MVC doesn't

• Save personalised, bookmarkable map views (layers / viewport)
• Browse for new WMS servers/layers
• Google Earth 'layer'
• Legend panel for WMS layers
• Print support more complete
  • Warning for unsupported layers
• Implementation of 'group' for different layer folders (can use this for Internal/External feeds)
• Icons in top toolbar ('north') instead of Map panel title: more screen real-estate for map & potentially space for more icons (although good to keep uncluttered if possible)

MVC has which GeoExplorer doesn't

NB It should be relatively easy to patch some of these in within Sahana (using a slightly-modified version of the existing Python code) as an interim measure to getting them added to the GeoExplorer JavaScript libraries.

• Internal feature layers (do these as KML?)
• KML/GeoRSS/GPX layers (use source 'ol'?)
• Clustering
• Extra OSM layers (CycleMap, Hillshading, Taiwan, Custom)
• Extra Google layers (MapMaker)
• Yahoo layers
• Potlatch2 integration
• HTML5 GeoLocation support
• GeoNames Search
• Overview map
• Mouse Pointer: Lat/Lon & MGRS
• Configurability
  • we could have each button have an enabled option?

Issues with GeoExplorer

Outstanding

• Published maps: geoexplorer/viewer.html#id
  • Doesn't appear to read the config at all!
  • Viewer sends about to geoexplorer/about.html
• How to edit Title/Abstract(Description)/Contact when saving a map?
• How to save a WMS Server when saving a Map? ("source":"source78")
• Not clear when saving whether this is a New map or an Update
  • Should have a 'Save As' option
• No Mouse wheel to zoom
• scaleLinePanel ugly: remove the Scale Chooser?
• Layer-Switcher in Embedded View not as nice...why different UI (just that we have less space not a reason since we can collapse mini)
• Currently has issues with GeoExt 1.0 (j is null)

Fixed

• Ext 3.0.0 -> 3.2.1 (Test they work ok with 3.0.0 too):
  • height: 27 (north) [GeoExplorer.js & Viewer.js]
  • header: false (westPanel) [GeoExplorer.js]
• OpenLayers 2.9 -> 2.10
  • Can remove the 'Patch the SphericalMercator layer' from the top of GeoExplorer.js
• Debug uses version from ​Suite SVN
• Debug uses GXP version from ​GitHub

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