Integrating OpenStreetMap data into your web pages with OpenLayers
Layer Cake
© Antonina Germanova, 123RF.com
OpenLayers is a JavaScript library that allows you to integrate maps into web pages. You can program the geodetic data directly or read it from a database.
OpenStreetMap [1] is a free project that was founded in 2004 with the goal of creating a freely usable and expandable world map. Contributors gather geodata, load the information into the database, and edit the data. The data includes roads, railways, buildings, and other geographic information. The data from OpenStreetMap finds its way into highway maps, as well as cycling maps, walking maps, and countless special applications.
The geospatial information in OpenStreetMap is freely available, so people can integrate the maps into their own blogs or websites. Even the raw data is freely accessible for development work, including integration with route-finding tools and mobile navigation apps. For instance, you can use OpenStreetMap to display points of interest (POIs), tourist trails, or weather stations (Figure 1). You can also use OpenStreetMap for accessing and displaying land registration data. The only tribute you need to pay to the community is an indication of the source with a reference to OpenStreetMap.
A BSD-licensed programming library called OpenLayers [2] provides access to OpenStreetMap data. The package is written in JavaScript and is therefore completely independent of any servers or operating systems. The prerequisite for using OpenLayers is simply a JavaScript-enabled web browser. The combination of OpenStreetMap and OpenLayers is very powerful and compares well with commercial products such as Google Maps and Google API.
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