Application Development Platform

Leverage the power of Maptitude in your own applications

Maptitude includes the Geographic Information System Developer’s Kit (GISDK^TM). GISDK gives you the tools that you need to create a wide variety of products for delivering mapping and geographic analysis capabilities to your customers. Over 850 functions can be called from Caliper Script, a complete programming language for designing menus and dialog boxes (including toolbars and toolboxes) and for writing macros. The Caliper Script code is stored in resource files that you can edit with your favorite text editor. With GISDK you can:

• Create add-ins that extend the standard interface to provide new capabilities or that automate repeated operations
• Build custom applications that focus the user on the capabilities needed for a particular purpose by extending or replacing the standard Maptitude interface
• Access Maptitude from .NET to integrate it into a .NET desktop application
• Access Maptitude as a COM Object to add maps or analysis functions to your own programs

GISDK contains both a debugger and a compiler.

Add-Ins: Add-ins are macros or dialog boxes that are launched within Maptitude. You can create add-ins to provide end-users with easier access to existing software functions; to add new capabilities to the GIS engine; or to create hooks to your own applications. Add-ins can be freely distributed to any Maptitude user without restriction.

The simplest add-ins are macros that run when they are selected by the user. A sophisticated add-in can display dialog boxes that let the user choose the settings or options to use when the macro is executed. The most flexible and powerful add-ins are custom toolboxes that provide users with push-button access to tools that you have programmed. These toolboxes look like the standard toolboxes used in all Windows applications.

Custom Applications: GISDK lets you create a mapping application program with a custom user interface. You design the menus, toolbars, toolboxes and dialog boxes, and program the application to respond to user actions in any way you want.

You can organize and structure your custom applications to appeal to a particular audience. You can create applications that are dynamic and that adapt to the capabilities and authorization level of the user.

Custom applications are executed like other Windows programs. Add your own program icon to any program group and double click to launch your application.

Accessing Maptitude from .NET or as a COM Object: GISDK allows you to call mapping functions and macros from another application, written in another programming language. The .NET classes included with Maptitude allow you to access the GISDK environment from a Windows desktop application (Windows Forms) written in any .NET language. GISDK also allows you to call GISDK functions and macros from another application using COM. Maptitude can provide map, data, and geographic analysis services when accessed as a COM Object. You write your application in a programming language that can make COM calls, and when you need map services you call the Maptitude object to supply those services.

Publishing Maps on the Web: If you would like to put your maps on the web, read about Maptitude for the Web or contact Caliper Corporation directly (email: info@caliper.com, telephone 617-527-4700).

Caliper also provides comprehensive GIS application development services. We specialize in designing, implementing, and integrating GIS applications and web services for large and enterprises and government organizations. More...