Developing a cartographic viewer for statistical data. Cartography is the science and technology of making maps. Its purpose is to visualize spatial related information. In ancient and medieval times cartography was often seen as a form of art and a way to express political and religious views. It gradually evolved into an “exact” information and communication science. As geographers describe the earth, cartographers visualize it. A map is a graphical representation of the earth and its spatial features; an atlas is a systematic collection of maps in book form. An e-atlas is an electronic or digital atlas. After years of gaining knowledge and experience in the fields of cartography and computer science (particularly programming), it was time to integrate things. The aim was to demonstrate that you can create thematic maps with simple (and free) programming tools. The choice fell on JavaScript, a “simple” programming language that is available to everyone and can be run directly under standard web browsers from Google and Microsoft, among others. All you need is a text editor to type in the instructions. I chose Notepad++: this is a free editor that, in contrast to the regular Notepad, displays the various elements and structures of a program in different colors.

Almost everyone uses a Route Navigation System these days, sometimes even daily. This book covers the (technical) “story behind it”. It answers questions such as: how are the (map) data obtained, how the map database is constructed, how GPS works to determine your location, what does the route planner algorithm look like, etc. The various techniques are explained in an understandable way and clarified through clear illustrations. This is introduced by a bit of history: what did the first road maps look like and who made them. NOTE: The term Route Navigation System (RNS for short) is used because a number of systems discussed are suitable for various modes of transport: car driving, cycling and walking.

Developing a cartographic viewer for raster-based Digital Terrain Models In the past, the collection, processing and presentation of elevation data (in the form of maps) was an extremely time-consuming and a specialized activity. The story in this book shows that today, through the application of advanced remote sensing techniques and computer graphics, this can be almost completely automated. Even a “simple” programming language like JavaScript can be used for the final presentation.

This concise presentation covers the steps to go through to design a structured relational database. From collecting the basic information to storing it in tables. Note: It is not a manual for operating a tool like Access. It is, however, a description of the fundamental concepts that form the basis.