Cadcorp gains another OpenGIS conformance certificate

Herts,UK Cadcorp, the UK developer of the popular Cadcorp SIS - Spatial Information System - range of Windows-based GIS software has passed another OpenGIS conformance test, the third to date for the company. At a recent meeting of the OpenGIS technical committee held in the USA, Cadcorp SIS and the Microsoft COM-based Cadcorp apSIS toolkit ,OLE DB Provider, were certified conformant with the OpenGIS Simple Features specification.

The Simple Features specification defines both a data model for GIS vector data and a database schema for presenting such data via Microsoft OLE DB Provider COM interfaces. OLE DB is a specification for a set of data access interfaces designed to enable a multitude of data stores, of all types and size, to work seamlessly together. These interfaces make up an industry standard for data access and manipulation that can ensure consistency and interoperability in a heterogeneous environment of data and data types.

In practice, the Cadcorp SIS OLE DB Provider will allow users to present a Cadcorp SIS work session (called a Saved Window Definition, or SWD) as a database and the maps (called Overlays) associated with that work session as tables within that database. Any Windows applications that use Microsoft's ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) will be able to access these Cadcorp SIS work sessions and their maps. This means that any of the wide range of data formats that Cadcorp SIS reads as standard, including indexed datasets of multiple map tiles, can be displayed using a relational model. Cadcorp SIS work sessions can thus be queried by external applications using, for example, Visual Basic, C++, or SQL and the query results passed to other applications, such as those dedicated to advanced statistical analysis and reporting. Furthermore Cadcorp SIS data could be viewed in any client program which uses ActiveX Data Objects.

"There are two main aspects to this work", stated Martin Daly, technical director, Cadcorp. "One is the ongoing commitment to OpenGIS; we are pleased to say that this is our third OpenGIS conformance certificate and others will follow. The other is the fact that OLE DB opens up Cadcorp SIS data to other software applications in a relational database model. By embracing OLE DB we are keeping Cadcorp SIS at the leading edge of Windows database connectivity and offering new options for those users and applications interacting with Cadcorp SIS".

About Cadcorp SIS

Cadcorp SIS - Spatial Information System - is a suite of Windows-based and Web-enabled end user and developer digital mapping and geographic information system (GIS) software products. The suite comprises: Map Viewer, which provides support for over 45 graphic and data formats, thematics and hard copy; Map Manager, which provides the mainstream user the ability to view, explore, query, symbolise and print digital map and associated tabular data; Map Editor, which in addition to the facilities provided by Map Manager, provides the GIS data custodian with tools to view, manage and edit map and tabular data; and Map Modeller, which adds 3D modelling, terrain analysis and several thematic and analytic mapping tools.

Cadcorp ASC (Active Server Component) extends the functionality of Cadcorp SIS for use over the Internet or a company-wide intranet. It is a dynamic, server-side Web-based GIS, not merely a map publishing tool for pre-authored images. Cadcorp ASC provides a true, interactive Web-based solution for real time map creation and analysis.

About Cadcorp

Established in 1991, Cadcorp is a leading developer of digital mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) software. With offices in the USA and UK, Cadcorp's distribution and VAR network stretches world-wide. The company also plays a pivotal technical role in the OpenGIS Consortium. Cadcorp SIS is the only complete product family to currently attain OpenGIS conformance certification.

Cadcorp SIS applications exist in municipal government, central government, emergency services, insurance, oil & natural gas, mapping and surveying, commerce, broadcasting and many other markets.