Technical Information

Geocortex Internet Mapping Framework (IMF) is platform independent, and will run under a variety of web servers and servlet engines on Windows, UNIX or Linux servers. The Java object model and framework code are compatible with ArcIMS versions 3.x - 9.x, and are upgraded as new versions of ArcIMS are released.

IMF is a set of Java Server Page (JSP) scripts, Java servlet classes, and a custom Java object model that runs on a central Internet server to provide a consistent set of functions and interfaces suitable for all spatial data. IMF also includes image files used by the web site template, as well as complete documentation.

IMF is effectively deployed as an Application Service Provider model application whereby it is installed on only one centralized server, but its services are available to any agency within an organization—developers don't even need access to the IMF server to deploy a new Internet mapping application. This approach provides an infrastructure that allows superior application management, support, and maintenance.

IMF 5.2 Basic View (click to enlarge)

All aspects of the application can be customized by elements in XML configuration files (directly or via the GUI-based Site Manager for Geocortex IMF ). These configuration files include map service information, alternate index maps, explanatory and title document locations, tabs, buttons, window sizes and placements, layer names and folders, data organization, links to metadata, tools to set the initial, full or maximum map extent, and reporting functions for map layers.

The framework contains a set of common functions and tools that can be easily included in the web sites without programming. These include coordinate conversion routines, location searches, scaled map printing, organization of layers into folders, and specialized layer configuration to set the reporting and user control characteristics of each layer.

Sophisticated selection and identify handlers are included to allow custom reporting routines to be defined for each layer, or to set a layer to be displayed without selection and identify capability. If the default selection routine is used, fields can be set to not display, and field alias can be set to label fields with easy to understand names. An identify or selection can be configured to call a remote URL with key values from the layer's feature table, or by inserting key values into an Oracle table and then calling a URL that creates a dynamic report by joining to the results in the Oracle table. The URL can be a reference to scripts, multimedia documents, or any other accessible link. Reports can be programmed using any scripting language such as JSP, ASP, ColdFusion, or perl.

IMF has been designed to make it easy to add new tools or routines to the core set of functions included with the distribution. It is simple to create new tools that interact with the map, collecting a user point, line, polygon, or rectangle and sending the coordinate values to your new routine. IMF contains projection and geoprocessing support (buffer, intersect, union, etc.) in its Java classes to support complex processes.

For further insight and information about the configuration of IMF sites, please contact us for a copy of the IMF Developer's Guide.

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