GIS, Maps

1
GIS, Maps Mapping Mashups

• Brian Lewis
• Semantic Web Technologies
• April 17, 2006

2
Overview

• What is a "mashup"?
• Examples
• GIS, Map, and Mapping Mashups
• Geospatial basics
• Mashup characteristics
• Predictions
• Creating mashups

3
What is a "mashup"?

• Website or web application that combines content
  from more than one source
• Application hybrids created by third parties by
  accessing public APIs
• Lightweight web services

4
Examples

• http//upcoming.org/event/61489
• http//www.mashupcoming.com/upmap.htm
• http//www.programmableweb.com
• http//www.mashupfeed.com
• http//googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/
• http//gpsvisualizer.com/examples/
• http//developer.yahoo.net/maps/applications.html
• http//ace.engin.umich.edu/gmaps/pierpont_arrival
  s.php

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Mashup framework
Berlind, 2006, January 27
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GIS, Map Mapping Mashups

• Just a mashup that involves GIS data
• GIS - Geographic Information System
• Geospatial - "information about the geographic
  location of an entity (Mitchell, 2005)"
• Terms spatial data, geographic data, geographic
  information system data, map data, coordinate
  data, and spatial geometry data (Mitchell, 2005)

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Geospatial basics

• Not just maps
• Geospatial data analysis
• Different methods of describing geospatial data
• Two types of geospatial data - raster and vector

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Why all the fuss?

• Mapping and analysis is not new
• Combining and sharing GIS data is also not new
• Geospatially focused hardware and software not
  new

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What is new

• GPS receivers are commonplace
• Costs are low
• Visibility is high (google maps)
• Technology is accessible
• Potential is extensive (fun and useful)

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What is new

• Dynamic lightweight models for combining content
• Zero footprint
• Visibility is high (mainstream press)
• Network effects

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Opportunities

• No central control
• Low technical barriers to entry
• Free data!
• Not geographically limited
• No ads!

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Challenges

• No central control
• Low technical barriers to entry
• Free data?
• Not geographically limited
• No ads!
• Others?

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Other viability issues

• Consistency issues
• Legal issues
• Revenue issues
• Competition issues
• Trust issues
• Others?

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How Semantic is it?

• Not Very
• No UDDI - Not machine discoverable
• Overlay or combination of data - Not understood
  in any real way
• So why is it in this class?
• A stepping stone to web services
• Web as a platform
• Opening APIs
• Use of standards (SOAP, XML)
• Demonstrates the usefulness of sharing data
• Others?

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Predictions

• Universal registry for mashup APIs
• Mashup tools arrive
• Disruptive effects will affect slow adopters
• RSS becomes the mashup protocol of choice
• Intellectual property issues persist

16
Creating a mashup

• Look for the APIs (168 as of 03/05/2006)
• http//www.programmableweb.com/apis
• http//www.mashupfeed.com
• Get an application ID (API key)
• Sometimes not necessary
• Often free
• Read the documentation
• Limits of the service (rate limit, location
  limit, use)
• How to structure your query
• Mash away!

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Creating a mashup APIs

• Provides an interface and a set of rules that
  make it easier to extract data from a website.
• Simple or (relatively) complicated
• Many tools to build maps w/o coding
• Submit data to a URL via GET or POST - returns
  XML
• Access methods via a scripting language
• Utilize different technologies
• JavaScript
• PHP
• Flash ( JavaScript, ActionScript)
• Java
• More
• Different restrictions
• Not for profit only
• Maximum time-based request limit
• Limits on the data source
• Others

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A Simple Example

• Request a Google Maps API Key (http//www.google.c
  om/apis/maps)
• Returns a page with your key, a path for which
  URLs are valid, and sample code to work with.
• Copy this information somewhere (paste into a
  text file)

ltscript src"http//maps.google.com/maps?filea
piv1keyABQIAAblahblah6w" type"text/javascri
pt"gtlt/scriptgt ltdiv id"map" style"width
500px height 400px"gtlt/divgt ltscript
type"text/javascript"gt //lt!CDATA var
map new GMap(document.getElementById("map"))
map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl())
map.centerAndZoom(new GPoint(-122.1419, 37.4419),
4) //gt lt/scriptgt
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Read the documentation

• http//www.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/
• How to locate Google's JavaScript file
• identifies you to Google through the key ID
• ltscript src"http//maps.google.com/maps?fileapi
  v1
• keyABQIAAblahblah6w" type"text/javascript"gtlt/s
  criptgt
• Where the map will appear on your page
• ltdiv id"map" style"width 500px height
  400px"gtlt/divgt

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Read the documentation

• Draws the map
• Instantiates the map and assigns it to the div
• Adds the controls
• Centers the map and sets the zoom level
• ltscript type"text/javascript"gt
• //lt!CDATA
• var map new GMap(document.getElementById("ma
  p"))
• map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl())
• map.centerAndZoom(new GPoint(-122.1419,
  37.4419), 4)
• //gt
• lt/scriptgt

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Results
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Dig in

• Change the center point of the map and the zoom
  level
• map.centerAndZoom(new GPoint(-97.739868,
  30.280935), 2)
• Add an overlay marker at a specific location
• var marker new Gmarker(new Gpoint(-97.738452,
  30.281269))map.addOverlay(marker)
• Add an info window text bubble thingie
• marker.openInfoWindow(document.createTextNode( "
  Text here"))
• View your results
• (Based from Joshua Siler's tutorial and Google's
  API Documentation)

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Dig in deeper

• Note This is not a (real) mashup
• But it does introduce you to the API. Play.
• This could be done w/o code using map builder
  which IS a mashup
• Google's API provides much more functionality
  than this
• More Tutorials
• http//www.programmableweb.com/howto
• http//www.theurer.cc/blog/2005/11/03/how-to-build
  -a-maps-mash-up/
• Jon Udell's screencast
• Java for Google Maps Mashups
• Charlottetown Transit Map explanation (php)
• http//www.flickrmap.com/tutorials/google_earth.ph
  p

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References

• Berlind, D. (2006, February 1). Rethinking BPM in
  a mashup-based SOA world. Retrieved March 4,
  2006, from ZDNet Web site http//blogs.zdnet.com/
  BTL/?p2517
• Berlind, D. (2006, January 27). Mashup ecosystem
  poised to explode. ZDNet. Retrieved February 27,
  2006, from http//blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p2484
• Butler, D. (2006, January 5). Mashups mix data
  into global service. Retrieved March 4, 2006,
  from http//www.nature.com/nature/journal/v439
  /n7072/full/439006a.html
• Farber, D. (2006, February 20). Mashups and the
  law. Retrieved March 4, 2006, from ZDNet Web
  site http//blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p2614
• Hinchcliffe, D. (2006, Feb 20). Some predictions
  for the coming 'mashosphere'. Retrieved April 9,
  2006, from ZDNet Website http//blogs.zdnet.com/H
  inchcliffe/?p13
• Hinchcliffe, D. (2006, Feb 5). The Web 2.0 mashup
  ecosystem ramps up. Retrieved March 20, 2006,
  from Web 2.0 journal http//www.web2journal.com/r
  ead/179109.htm

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References

• MacManus, R. (2006, March 2). Mashups who's
  really in control? Retrieved March 4, 2006, from
  ZDNet Web site http//blogs.zdnet.com/web2explore
  r/?p128
• Mitchell, T. (2005, May 11). Demystifying
  geospatial - the basics. Retrieved March 5, 2006,
  from O'Reilly Digital Media Web site
  http//www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/2005/0
  5/ demystifying_geospatial_the_ba.html
• Musser, J. (2005, August). programmableweb.
  Retrieved February 22, 2006, from
  http//www.programmableweb.com
• My Vision for TheMashup.com. (n.d.). Retrieved
  March 2, 2006, from http//www.themashup.com/7/my-
  vision-for-themashupcom.htm
• Schofield, J. (2006, February 2). It's all in the
  mix. Retrieved March 4, 2006, from Guardian
  Unlimited Web site http//technology.guardian.co.
  uk/weekly/story/0,,1699502,00.html

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Questions to think about

• Where are mashups going?
• Hype or a compelling new future for software?
• Which view is more accurate the optimistic or
  pessimistic view?

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Questions

• ?