MapServer
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| Developer(s) | Stephen Lime |
| Initial release | 1994 |
| Stable release | 6.0.1 / July 13, 2011 |
| Preview release | 6.0.0-beta6 / April 13, 2011 |
| Written in | C / C++ |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Type | GIS software (compare) |
| License | X/MIT |
| Website | www.mapserver.org |
MapServer is an open source development environment for building spatially-enabled internet applications. It can run as a CGI program or via MapScript which supports several programming languages (using SWIG). MapServer was developed by the University of Minnesota — so, it is often and more specifically referred as "UMN MapServer", to distinguish it from commercial "map server". MapServer was originally developed with support from NASA, which needed a way to make its satellite imagery available to the public.[1]
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[edit] Open Source Geospatial Foundation
In November 2005, Autodesk, the MapServer Technical Steering Committee Members, the University of Minnesota, and DM Solutions Group announced the creation of the MapServer Foundation.[2] With this announcement, Autodesk announced that its internet mapping application, MapGuide, would be developed as an open source application with all new code and be named "MapServer Enterprise".[2] The existing MapServer application would be renamed "MapServer Cheetah".[2] This name change was overwhelmingly opposed by the MapServer community.[3] Autodesk then backed off this name change and retained the name, "MapGuide" for its product.[3] Also, plans to establish the MapServer Foundation were scrapped; Instead, the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) was established to include MapServer and other open source GIS projects (which now includes MapGuide Open Source).[4]
[edit] Time line
MapServer has had an important role in Web mapping history. The following is a summary of its evolution,
| Main UMN MapServer events | Parallel reference/related events |
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[edit] See also
- MapServer History - a history of the MapServer project
- FWTools – a cross-platform open source GIS software bundle, including MapServer
- TopoQuest - Topographic map viewer using the technology
[edit] References
- ^ Ojeda-Zapata, Julio (June 17, 2005). "Minnesota's MapServer flourishes in hot Web-based mapping sector". Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota).
- ^ a b c Schutzberg, Adena (November 28, 2005). "MapServer Community, Autodesk Announce MapServer Foundation". directionsmag.org. http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2037&trv=1.
- ^ a b Grimes, Brad and Joab Jackson (May 1, 2006). "What’s in an open-source name?". Government Computer News. http://www.gcn.com/print/25_10/40589-1.html.
- ^ Schuyler Erle (February 4, 2006). "Introducing… the Open Source Geospatial Foundation!". mappinghacks.com. http://mappinghacks.com/2006/02/04/introducing-the-open-source-geospatial-foundation/.
- ^ a b http://trac.osgeo.org/mapserver/wiki/MapServerHistory
- ^ a b c For the version history of HTML, see: HTML#Version history of the standard.
- ^ See HTML#History.
- ^ http://www.dei.isep.ipp.pt/~matos/cadeiras/pjac/sig/oss/lime_plenary.ppt
- ^ "Google Maps announcement on Google Blog". Googleblog.blogspot.com.
- ^ http://mapping.referata.com/wiki/Maps_and_Semantic_Maps_1.0_released
