Education Web Mapping

Web Mapping

A Workbook for Interactive Cartography and Visualization on the Open Web

  1. Roth RE, CM Sack, G Baldrica-Franklin, Y Chen, R Donohue, L Houtman, T Prestby, R Tolochko, and N Underwood. 2021. Web Mapping: A Workbook for Interactive Cartography and Visualization on the Open Web. Version 1.0. University of Wisconsin Cartography Laboratory: Madison, WI. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5565480

About this Workbook

This workbook introduces the practical skills needed to develop interactive maps and visualizations on the open web. Compared to a traditional textbook, this workbook utilizes a "spiral" curriculum of short but interconnected lessons that incrementally build proficiency in interactive cartography and visualization.

The technological landscape for web mapping and visualization is broad, and this workbook is intended as a partial entry point rather than a comprehensive survey. Specifically, the workbook covers core open source web technologies, including the HTML, CSS, and (in particular) JavaScript languages and the Leaflet.js and D3.js web mapping and visualization libraries. Throughout, Github is used as the primary teaching and learning platform. This workbook is free to use, share, and extend as an open educational resource following a CC-BY license.

The workbook is funded by NSF CAREER #1555267 and is meant to be a living resource updated by the University of Wisconsin Cartography Lab. Version 1.0 was released on October 12, 2021. However, the workbook is constantly being updated on GitHub as we actively teach with it during the semester.

See the full workbook here.


Table of Contents

Introduction

Unit 1 - Workflows and Data

Chapter 1 - Setting Up Your Workspace
Chapter 2 - Scripting and Debugging
Chapter 3 - Data and AJAX

Unit 2 - Designing with Leaflet

Chapter 4 - Leaflet Foundations & Using Online Resources
Chapter 5 - Dynamic Mapping with Leaflet
Chapter 6 - The Internal Logic of Leaflet
Chapter 7 - Collaborating with Github

Unit 3 - Designing with D3

Chapter 8 - D3 Foundations
Chapter 9 - Mapping in D3
Chapter 10 - Coordinated Visualizations
Chapter 11 - Coordinated Interactions