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

• GeoExplorer extends gxp.Viewer
• Composer extends GeoExplorer (adds left 3 buttons)

Server shouldn't write out JavaScript:

• config should be passed between client & server using JSON config objects

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
  • Caching / unzipping of KMZs means that we don't just want to read the config but also to intiiate the server-side processes for this functionality
• 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 we embed a map into a page?
    • should be possible:

      config[portalConfig]: ``Ext.Panel`` if it has a ``renderTo`` property, or an ``Ext.Viewport`` otherwise
      

  • can we have a popup window for the LocationSelector?
    • Switching to Ext.Window isn't easy. Overriding initPortal in Sahana.js means we lose the toolbar/layerContainer/legendContainer
  • 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 ¶

Local to Sahana:

• OSM uses TMSSource.js to allow displaying across the dateline [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
• Composer.js showEmbedWindow shows wrong link: geoexplorer/viewer.html (can't redirect as web2py doesn't see the '#')

Fixed ¶

Can go upstream:

• 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

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