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AA Web Site Mapping Service Formsoft worked for the AA to enable users to browse travel news, routes, hotels, B&Bs, pubs and restaurants on high quality maps. See AA Traffic News See AA Routes See AA Hotels and B&B See AA Restaurants & Pubs The solution: DHTML & JavaScript user interface JSP page creation JavaBean processing of XML data feeds Servlet map requests ESRI ArcIMS mapping service Oracle spatial DB DHTML & JavaScript user interface The links above demonstrates how JavaScript and DHTML are used to create features such as: Clicking on the map to zoom in or out Zooming in by dragging a rectangle on the map Dragging the map to adjust the area shown Panning the map left, right, up and down using arrows At the heart of the JavaScript code is a browser-independent API that uses JavaScript objects to describe the dynamic layers that make up the map. This hides the complexity of different Document Object Models (DOMs) used by different browsers. This map works with IE4&5 and NN4. The dynamic layers are created using Cascading Style Sheets Positioning. This avoids numerous bugs that can be introduced by using positioning styles in-line in the HTML. JSP PAGE CREATION JavaServer Page (JSP) includes are used to embeded the map into a HTML page. An include in the header contains the Cascading Style Sheets (CCS) that allows the map to be dynamically positioned. A second include in the body of the page conatins the HTML for the map itself. This allows the map to be inserted anywhere in the page and to be re-used in other pages. JAVABEANS PROCESSING OF XML DATA FEEDS JavaBeans allows the business logic to be separated from the JSP page creation. For example a "traffic" bean is used to generate a XML request for traffic news and process the XML reply from the traffic server. The HTML page showing a list of traffic incidents can simply make use of the data in the bean. A bean is also used to format the request to generate the image for the map and to process the response which includes the URL of the image to use. In this case the request is sent via a specially produced servlet as described below. SERVLET MAP REQUEST ESRI's ArcIMS is a sophisticated mapping product with an XML based interface. However you are only likely to want to use a sub-set of its functionality. In addition much of each request will be identical. A servlet can be used to provide a much simpler interface and reduce network traffic . For example this allows layers in the map to be easily switched on and off, copyright details to be added consistently and automatic switching to a stand-by ArcIMS mapping service. ESRI ArcIMS MAPPING SERVICE ESRI's ArcIMS service is configured using an XML file which describes how each layer in the map should be represented and to which underlying database table the data should be associated. Multiple processes and threads can be configured to maximise throughput. For a detailed description of the architecture download. ORACLE SPATIAL DB ESRI's ArcSDE is used to maintain spatial data in an Oracle 8i database tables.

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