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
• ​Geoexplorer Documentation
• ​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

How

• ​GeoExplorer GitHub
• ​GXP GitHub - toolset upon which GeoExplorer is built
• ​OpenGeo Community Forum

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 (crossed-out lines here have been implemented like that).

• Internal feature layers
• KML/GeoRSS/GPX layers
  • Parse config from /eden/gis/layer_kml.json
  • Add new Layers via /eden/gis/layer_kml/create.json
• WFS Layers
• Extra OSM layers (CycleMap, Hillshading, Taiwan, Custom)
• Extra Google layers (MapMaker)
• Yahoo layers
• Potlatch2 integration
• HTML5 GeoLocation support
• GeoNames Search
• WMS Browser (do we need this with the multi-server browser?)
• Overview map
• Mouse Pointer: Lat/Lon & MGRS
• Configurability
  • can each button have an enabled option?

Issues with GeoExplorer

Outstanding

• Internal Feature Layers need to populate the Legend
• Not fully localisable (GXP is OK):
  • text strings are hidden in private methods not separate public variables
  • ​http://www.sencha.com/learn/Tutorial:Localizing_Ext
• 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
• 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)

Changed

• OSM uses TMSSource.js [gxp/loader.js]
• Base layers above Overlays [GeoExplorer.js]
  • NB if try to //expanded: true, then get weird effects with 1 baselayer appearing on load & a different one when the Base Layers folder is opened

Fixed

• Ext 3.0.0 -> 3.3.1 (Test they work ok with 3.0.0 too):
  • header: false (westPanel) [GeoExplorer.js]
• OpenLayers 2.9 -> 2.10
  • Can remove the 'Patch the SphericalMercator layer' from the top of GeoExplorer.js
• GeoExt - >Trunk
  • Can //,items: [] [GeoExplorer.js] since ​http://trac.geoext.org/ticket/305 is fixed
• Composer.js showEmbedWindow shows wrong link: geoexplorer/viewer.html (can't redirect as web2py doesn't see the '#')

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