Learn how APIs and Web technologies can improve your GIS
November 12, 2010 at 2:11 am Alicia S 2 comments
I wouldn’t normally blog about a new book hitting our online bookstore… but this is one new release that has proved to be very popular overseas and I think you may find it useful. If you’re interested in learning about how to boost your GIS skills in the online environment, and if you’re in the market for a new book, then read on…
I’ll keep it short and sweet. Web GIS: Principles and Applications, the latest offering from Esri Press, is a great read and an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn state-of-the-art concepts, architectures and techniques for working with Web-based GIS applications.
This book is particularly relevent because it’s talking about something we are all increasingly invested in – the online environment. The book canvasses both the origins and recent developments in this rapidly evolving platform, covering technologies like REST Web services; geobrowsers; cloud computing; geoportals; mashups; mobile GIS; Gov 2.0; business intelligence; online virtual reality; volunteered geographic information (VGI); geotagging; geotargeting; the sensor Web; Semantic Web; and ArcGIS APIs for JavaScript, Flex, and Silverlight.
Better yet, this book is designed for GIS users of all skill levels. It can be used as a reference guide or for classroom instruction. Or even a Christmas present!
There’s more about the book here (including an interview with the authors) . And if you think this might be the book you’ve been waiting for, then you can purchase the book here.
- Alicia S.
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: API, business intelligence, cloud, Cloud computing, Esri Press, Flex, geobrowsers, geoportals, geotargeting, gis, Gov 2.0, JavaScript, mashups, mobile GIS, online environment, online virtual reality, REST Web services, Silverlight, VGI, Volunteered Geographic Information, web, Web technologies.
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Alicia S | November 12, 2010 at 3:52 am
Hi Ross, thanks for your comment! The book does cover the overarching/generic GIS information, but any specific references are to the Esri technology. As for case studies – there are lots of ‘real-world’ examples of real applications in e-government and e-business, from individual projects to national and global spatial data infrastructure.
When the author (Pinde Fu) was interviewed about what he was hoping to achieve with the book, he said providing these real life case studies/examples was very import.
“Other than some product and programming tutorials, I discovered there was not much conceptual-level content out there, so I started looking at the big picture of Web GIS,” Fu says.”There are many software manuals and tutorials on how to do specific tasks. That doesn’t give you the big picture. It lets you see the trees but not the whole forest—how Web GIS applies to real-world situations. Practice without theory is blind.”
If you are interested in finding out more, there’s a great article with the author (including a decent sized interview) at this address: http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/0610/web-gis.html
Hope that helps
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Ross Johnson | November 12, 2010 at 3:16 am
Thanks Alicia for sharing this review. So from what your saying, the book’s contents are generic or Esri specfic regarding web GIS mapping? Any case studies outlined? Regards Ross