Rich Web Map Applications - An assessment of performance, functionality and implementation of Rich Internet Application techniques in web-based GIS

Abstract

Geographic information systems (GISs) are becoming more and more commonly deployed in a web environment. Web map clients are today heavily used by amateurs in a wide variety of applications. Web map application developers need to deal with the challenges of client-server transfer of sometimes great amounts of geographic data, diverse data formats, the limited application host environments that are the web browsers and the heterogeneous web environment. In this thesis work, modern web technologies often referred to as Rich Internet Application (RIA) technologies have been studied to determined if and how they can be used to increase the user experience of web map applications. Relevant technologies have been discerned and their applicability to map applications has been assessed. The technologies have been defined in two main categories: plugin-based technologies (Flash and Silverlight) and HTML/JavaScript-based technologies (HTML5). In the final stage of the thesis work, a prototype was developed to evaluate the applicability and performance some technologies that have been determined to be of most interest to this thesis. By utilizing HTML5 technologies such as SVG, Web Storage and video, it is deduced that the performance of HTML/JavaScript applications can be improved by using newer HTML5 technologies and that the user experience may indeed be improved.