Hello,
a breakdown of my experiences using different 'map widgets', with focus on LOB (Line Of Business) applications implemented as desktop clients.
The map widgets of commercial UI libraries
Some of the popular commercial UI libraries also contain a map widget (e.g. Telekrik RadMap, DevExpress XtraMap). As these also support the inclusion of custom tile sources, xMapServer-2 can be easily added in the same manner as for
JavaScript applications, it may be required to implement a
specific interface though.
One caveat could be the support of tooltip informations for PTV FeatureLayers, as the decoding and hit-testing has to be implemented specific for the control, and i'm not sure all of these controls are versatile enough.
But if you're already happy using one of these controls this would be your first choice.
- + Seamless to integrate if you already use one of these libraries
- Support for PTV FeatureLayer tooltips has to be implemented
? Limited exensibility, maybe sometimes too simple
Ptv XServer.NET
While the name suggests it is mainly an extension for PTV xServer, it can also can be used standalone. You can add
aerial imagery and OSM tiles, and it is
Open Source with a MIT license which is not bound to the use of PTV xServers, so it's some kind of 'Leaflet for .NET'.
This component is used in our productive desktop applications and has proven to be very robust and flexible.
- + Highly customizable, for example with custom rendering and interaction
+ Support for 'fractional zoom levels' with xMapSever and WMS
+ Native support for PTV FeatureLayer tool tips
+ Native support for WMTS
? Maybe the programming model is too complex if you just want to display some push-pins.
The Web Browser Control
This techinque is not only an option for .NET applications, many IDEs support some kind of
Web Browser Control. With it i've managed to include xMapServer even to the
most archaic environments. One caveat is that this control internally uses the installed Internet Explorer of the client, but there are libraries as
CEF and
WebView2 which address this issue.
Here is a boilerplate for CEF using
MapLibre and
PTV Vector Map.
While this looks strange and cumbersome at first, it's a well-established technique and deliveres many benefits.
- + Works for any development environment
+ Large community with an infinite number plugins (with Leaflet, OpenLayers)
+ Native support for PTV FeatureLayer tooltips via Leaflet
+ Code can be re-used in web applications
- Requires some knowledge of JavaScript
- Requires some interop (via JSON)
- Dependent on IE version (use CEF or WebView2)
After using all of these options at some time, my final verdict for the best solution is 'it depends'. It is not a purely technical decision, but also depends on factors like the knowledge of the team and the strategic placement the 'fat client' application in your service infrastructure.
It is even an option to mix different techniques within the same application.
Oli