If you are an OpenStreetMap enthusiast and want to create a simple web mapping application based on OSM data you have the choice among a huge amount of software and tools.
If you are, in addition, a hobby developer with a low budget but without a strong background regarding IDEs, toolsets, provider services, databases and so on, you will be lost in the jungle…
I will describe you how I found the way through this jungle as a novice and how I built my web app finde.cash! (www.findatm.cash) from scratch.
I will cover the following topics:
- Programming language (JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP)
- IDE (Eclipse, Aptana, WebStorm)
- WebServer (Local vs remote, MacOS/Windows/Linux)
- Mapping library (OpenLayers, Leaflet)
- Responsive Web Design (ZURB Foundation, Bootstrap, other)
- OSM data retrieval (PostGIS DB, OSM API 0.6, Overpass API)
- Additional functionality (Geolocation, Point in Polygon, Distance)
- Routing (MapBox, OSRM, route360.net)
- Own SVG Icons (GIMP, InkScape, Illustrator)
- Version Control/Publishing (Git, GitHub)
OpenStreetMap is a database storing a huge amount of map relevant data and there should be a lot more small web applications using this data for useful maps!
Finding the right tool chain is crucial to get it up and running.