Essential Information for Developers

How You Benefit

Adding the Power of GIS to Your Applications

Advancements in the GIS platform have been made. It is now distributed, networked, interoperable, more service focused, and uses expanded standardised Internet protocols such as XML.

Developer Environments: Includes VB, C++, .NET, and Java (J2ME, J2SE, J2EE, ASP/JSP).

Desktop Computers: Desktop software is supported on Windows, Java, Unix, and Linux.

Servers: Server software is supported on Unix, Linux, Windows, and Java.

Handheld Devices: Supports Windows CE, Pocket PC, Web browsers, J2ME, and 802.11 to leverage the growing use of handheld devices.

DBMS: Supports Oracle, IBM DB2, Informix, and SQL Server including support for all spatial types.

Networks: Supports protocols, such as TCP/IP and HTTP, allowing for the transfer of data and HTML documents.

Web Services/APIs: Web standards such as XML, SOAP, UDDI, and WSDL are supported. Web APIs such as WFS, WMS, XML, and GML are also supported.

Data Sharing: Strong support for numerous data converters and direct read access including SDTS, VPF, imagery, CAD files, DLG, TIGER, and others.

Direct Data Access: Simple features such as SQL, OLE COM, XML/GML, and others.

Metadata: Includes FGDC, ISO, CEN, Z39.50, and others.

Data Models: Include utilities, parcels, PLSS, survey, TOPO maps, terrain, hydrology, transportation, demographics, imagery, street/address, forestry, oceans, environmental, health, business, administrative/census, agriculture, and more.

Many organisations using GIS need to integrate data from multiple sources, organizations, and formats. ESRI has played an active role in building this interoperable technology into its products to ensure that GIS data created by our products can be openly accessed and supports open standards at all levels.