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
pierpont_arrivals.php

5. Mashup framework
Berlind, 2006, January 27

6. 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)

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

8. 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

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

10. What is new Dynamic lightweight models for combining content
Zero footprint
Visibility is high (mainstream press)
Network effects

11. Opportunities No central control Low technical barriers to entry
Free data!
Not geographically limited
No ads!

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

13. Other viability issues
Consistency issues
Legal issues
Revenue issues
Competition issues
Trust issues
Others?

14. 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?

15. 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 Get an application ID (API key)
Look for the APIs (168 as of 03/05/2006)
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!

17. 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…

18. A Simple Example
Request a Google Maps API Key (
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)
<script src=" type="text/javascript"></script> …
<div id="map" style="width: 500px; height: 400px"></div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var map = new GMap(document.getElementById("map"));
map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
map.centerAndZoom(new GPoint( , ), 4);
//]]>
</script>

19. Read the documentation
How to locate Google's JavaScript file
identifies you to Google through the key ID
<script src="
key=ABQIAA…blahblah…6w" type="text/javascript"></script>
Where the map will appear on your page
<div id="map" style="width: 500px; height: 400px"></div>

20. 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
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var map = new GMap(document.getElementById("map"));
map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
map.centerAndZoom(new GPoint( , ), 4);
//]]>
</script>

21. Results

22. Dig in Change the center point of the map and the zoom level
map.centerAndZoom(new GPoint( , ), 2);
Add an overlay marker at a specific location
var marker = new Gmarker(new Gpoint( , )); 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)

23. 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
Jon Udell's screencast
Java for Google Maps Mashups
Charlottetown Transit Map explanation (php)

24. References
Berlind, D. (2006, February 1). Rethinking BPM in a mashup-based SOA world. Retrieved March 4, 2006, from ZDNet Web site:
Berlind, D. (2006, January 27). Mashup ecosystem poised to explode. ZDNet. Retrieved February 27, 2006, from
Butler, D. (2006, January 5). Mashups mix data into global service. Retrieved March 4, 2006, from a.html
Farber, D. (2006, February 20). Mashups and the law. Retrieved March 4, 2006, from ZDNet Web site:
Hinchcliffe, D. (2006, Feb 20). Some predictions for the coming 'mashosphere'. Retrieved April 9, 2006, from ZDNet Website:
Hinchcliffe, D. (2006, Feb 5). The Web 2.0 mashup ecosystem ramps up. Retrieved March 20, 2006, from Web 2.0 journal:

25. References
MacManus, R. (2006, March 2). Mashups: who's really in control? Retrieved March 4, 2006, from ZDNet Web site:
Mitchell, T. (2005, May 11). Demystifying geospatial - the basics. Retrieved March 5, 2006, from O'Reilly Digital Media Web site: demystifying_geospatial_the_ba.html
Musser, J. (2005, August). programmableweb. Retrieved February 22, 2006, from
My Vision for TheMashup.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2006, from
Schofield, J. (2006, February 2). It's all in the mix. Retrieved March 4, 2006, from Guardian Unlimited Web site:

26. 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?

27. Questions ?