{"id":4921,"date":"2015-04-30T19:38:32","date_gmt":"2015-05-01T02:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/insider\/?p=4921"},"modified":"2015-04-30T19:38:32","modified_gmt":"2015-05-01T02:38:32","slug":"the-new-era-of-web-gis","status":"publish","type":"insider","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/insider\/the-new-era-of-web-gis","title":{"rendered":"The New Era of Web GIS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why the Workbook <\/em>Getting to Know Web GIS Is This Year\u2019s Must Read for GIS Students<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
\nWith an estimated three billion people using the Internet, it\u2019s no wonder that GIS<\/span><\/a> is rapidly moving onto the web. Web GIS is becoming more popular within government agencies, businesses, and other organizations around the world as public demand skyrockets for services that include maps.<\/span><\/p>\n

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That\u2019s why learning web GIS is a must, especially for students who plan a career in geospatial technology. To teach them the fundamentals, Esri recently published Getting to Know Web GIS<\/em><\/span><\/a>, a new how-to workbook that teaches, step by step, how to build and share web GIS apps quickly and easily using the Esri ArcGIS platform<\/span><\/a>. The apps can be used in a browser on any type of device, from the desktop to a mobile phone.<\/span>
\nGetting to Know Web GIS<\/em>, written by Esri senior web GIS application developer Pinde Fu, is a follow-up to the popular 2010 book Web GIS: Principles and Applications<\/em><\/span><\/a>, which Fu cowrote with professor Jiulin Sun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After getting schooled in the basic concepts of web GIS, readers were clamoring for help to build web apps.<\/span>
\n\u201cPeople were asking, \u2018How do we develop web GIS applications? Do you have a workbook to do that?\u2019\u201d Fu said during an interview at his Esri office in Redlands, California.<\/span>
\nAt first, Fu hesitated to write Getting to Know Web GIS <\/em>because web-based GIS is a fast-changing field. Something written today could be out of date tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Author Pinde Fu works at Esri.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like chasing a moving target,\u201d he said. Esri is always updating ArcGIS for the web. We have new ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS API for JavaScript API releases every several months,\u201d Fu said. \u201cWhile it\u2019s not possible to include all the latest and coolest ArcGIS products, this book teaches the fundamental and essential technical skills that GIS professionals need to use when designing, implementing, and managing real world web GIS apps.\u201d<\/span>
\nBut a couple things changed his mind.<\/span>
\nFirst, there\u2019s a growing demand for web GIS from organizations and a public hungry to consume geospatial services such as maps and apps via the Internet or intranet, no matter where they live in the world.<\/span>
\n\u201cWeb GIS has really unlocked the power of GIS to deliver spatial intelligence to a lot of places and organizations that desktop GIS cannot reach,\u201d Fu said.<\/span>
\nSecond, there\u2019s an increasing demand for professionals with a solid working knowledge of web GIS. But there are few university-level workbooks available to teach them about the technology and techniques.<\/span>
\n\u201cThere is a fundamental need to add web GIS to the university curricula for GIS,\u201d Fu said. \u201cWithout knowledge of web GIS, a graduate will leave the university lacking a full understanding of the capacity of GIS, as well as the current technology used in the workplace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The book covers how to create apps using ArcGIS Online.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe workbook provides easy-to-follow instructions on how to build web GIS applications with the ArcGIS platform, including ArcGIS Online, Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS for Server, Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS, Esri CityEngine and web scene technologies, web app templates, ArcGIS API for JavaScript, Collector for ArcGIS, and Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS.<\/span>
\n\u201cStudents develop an app in each chapter,\u201d Fu said.<\/span>
\nThey will learn how to set up an ArcGIS Online account and prepare data for, configure, and share web apps using templates such as the Esri Story Map Tour. They will also create map services and time-animation web apps, build map services and comparison web apps, publish feature services, create web apps for volunteered geographic information (VGI), and use the new Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS to create apps and configure widgets.<\/span>
\nThe book also introduces readers to geoprocessing services that power spatial analytics. They will learn how to perform analyses in ArcGIS Online, design and run a geoprocessing model, and then publish the results of the model as a geoprocessing service. Chapters also focus on how to build custom apps using ArcGIS API for JavaScript and how to create mobile GIS and 3D web apps. The book includes a reference section and hands-on assignments. Little to no programming is required to build the applications outlined in the assignments, making this workbook perfect for classroom use or self-study.<\/span>
\nGetting to Know Web GIS <\/em>also is available in both print and e-book editions. The e-book can be viewed on Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple tablets, and other devices. \u201cThe e-book edition is also easier and quicker to update when needed, making it easier for people to learn about the most recent Esri web GIS product updates,\u201d Fu said.<\/span><\/p>\n


\nFrom Simple Map Viewers to Sophisticated Apps<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fu said web GIS got its start in the Silicon Valley in California when Xerox developed a simple web map viewer in 1993. Since then, applications have grown more sophisticated, and Esri is at the forefront of developing technology that is going to make web GIS more intuitive and widely used.<\/span>
\nFor example, ArcGIS Online Smart Mapping <\/span><\/a>will make it easier than ever to create attractive and visually stunning maps, said Fu. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server <\/span><\/a>can connect with virtually any type of streaming data feed, process the data continuously and in real time, and enable web GIS in real time. And ArcGIS Pro <\/span><\/a>reinvents 3D design capabilities, allowing users to publish web scenes to build highly scalable and responsive 3D web apps, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Esri developed Smart Mapping to help people make more useful and beautiful maps.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHow has the web changed GIS? That, said Fu, is like asking how the web has changed computer science.<\/span>
\nAccording to Fu, web GIS has an inherent advantage over desktop GIS in that it has a vast global reach. \u201cAs a developer, when I develop a web app, the whole world can see it,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a user, I access web apps from around the world using my computer or cell phone. With a desktop app, you could never do this.\u201d<\/span>
\nWeb GIS apps also can run on multiple platforms, including mobile devices. And a web GIS system is easy to use and fairly easy to maintain, Fu said. Plus, the average cost per user is low. \u201cInstead of buying and setting up a desktop GIS for everyone, an organization can set up just one web GIS,\u201d he said. \u201cThis single system can be shared by many users\u200a\u2014\u200afrom home, at work, or in the field. The reduced costs in purchasing and maintenance help to provide a high return on investment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n


\nThe Future of Web GIS<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Web GIS holds great promise in the coming years, according to Fu. He predicts that in five to 10 years, web GIS will be more integrated into people\u2019s daily lives as part of the Internet of Things<\/span><\/a>. GIS will be connected to gadgets, cars, eyeglasses, watches, sprinklers, and drones, he said.<\/span>
\nFor example, in the future, self-driving cars would have GIS-based mapping systems that would bring in real-time traffic data including accidents\u200a\u2014\u200ainformation that would trigger the car to be rerouted to avoid the problem locations, Fu said. And GIS could be used to help route deliveries of goods by drone, he said.<\/span>
\nGIS also will be more deeply integrated into infrastructure to help create smarter, more resilient cities. \u201cBridges, roads, the smart grid, water supply systems, dams, oil and gas pipelines\u2026they all have locations,\u201d Fu said. \u201cWeb GIS will be used to intuitively, immediately locate, track, search for, display, interact with, control and analyze, manage, and respond to environmental changes and make smart decisions to realize the smart city\/earth vision.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

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—–<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting to Know Web GIS<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span>
\n Price: <\/strong>$84.99<\/span>
\n Buy the Book: <\/strong>Getting to Know Web GIS <\/em>is available in print or as an e-book. You can purchase the workbook at online retailers worldwide including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, at esri.com\/esripress<\/span><\/a>, or by calling 1\u2013800\u2013447\u20139778. Outside the United States, visit esri.com\/esripressorders<\/span><\/a> for options on how to purchase the book, or contact your Esri distributor at esri.com\/distributors<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10862],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4921","insider","type-insider","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-esri"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe New Era of Web GIS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/insider\/the-new-era-of-web-gis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The New Era of Web GIS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why the Workbook Getting to Know Web GIS Is This Year\u2019s Must Read for GIS Students With an estimated three billion people using the Internet, it\u2019s no wonder that GIS is rapidly moving onto the web. 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