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@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ This idea has been stuck in my head since then and I even think that we can
come out with something a little bit more flexible and useful. I've named it
*carto-forms* for now, but that's only the "codename".
To put it shortly: what if we had a way to build forms, ala google forms, but
To put it shortly: what if we had a way to build forms, ala Google forms, but
with geographic information in them?
If you don't know google forms, it means having an user-friendly way to build
If you don't know Google forms, it means having an user-friendly way to build
forms and to use them to gather information from different users.
In my opinion, Google forms is missing two important things: first, it's not
@ -37,16 +37,13 @@ Imagine the following:
1. For a mapping party, we choose a specific topic to map and design the form
(list of fields (i.e. tags) to be filled + description + type of the
information)
information) ;
2. In situ, users fill the form fields with what they see. Geo fields can be
prepopulated using device geolocation
3. At the end of the day, we can see a map with all user contributions using
this particular form.
4. A script can import the resulting dataset and publish/merge with Open Street
Map
Example uses for this include recycling spots, accessible spots (wheelchairs,
etc.), map advertisement boards (most cities do not track them!)…
prepopulated using device geolocation ;
3. At the end of the day, we can see a map with all user contributions seized
through this particular form ;
4. If relevant, a script could eventually import the resulting dataset and
publish/merge with OpenStreetMap.
Some use cases
@ -92,6 +89,17 @@ To push the cursor a bit further, if we can come with a cool description format
for the forms, we could even build the forms dynamically on different platforms,
with generic clients.
As mentioned before, the idea of a simple tool to support collaborative mapping
fullfils a recurring necessity !
We envision a lot of example uses for this : recycling spots, accessible spots (wheelchairs,
etc.), trees identification, mushrooms picking areas, tracking of endangered species
(e.g. Bonelli's Eagle is currently tracked by sharing a spreadsheet), spotting of dangerous
species (e.g. asian predatory wasps), map advertisement boards (most cities do not track them!),
citizen reporting (e.g. graffiti, potholes, garbage, lightning like http://fixmystreet.ca),
geocaching, trajectories (e.g hiking, runners, cyclists)...
Here are some other examples of where *carto-forms* could be useful:
Simple GIS storage backend
@ -101,27 +109,53 @@ Let's say you are a mobile developer, you don't want to bother with PostGIS
nor write a custom and insecure code to insert and retrieve your GIS data! You
need carto-forms! A simple API helps you design your models/forms and the
same API allows you to CRUD and query your data. Thus, you only need to focus
on your application, not on how GIS data will be handled. Distinguish storage
from widgets.
on your application, not on how GIS data will be handled.
We make a distinction between storage and widgets.
Besides, if you are a django / drupal / plomino... maintainer : you
can develop a module to "plug" your models (content types) and UI to carto-forms!
Carto forms are then exposed to your backoffice users (ex: drupal admin UI, django
adminsite), and likewise you can write your own HTML widgets that consume datasets
in frontend views (facets in JSON/XML, and map data in GeoJSON).
Besides, if you are a django / plomino / drupal/... maintainer : you
can develop a module to "plug" your UI to carto-forms! That's how you will
expose carto forms to your backoffice users (ex: drupal admin UI, django
adminsite). Likewise, you can write widgets that consume datasets in frontend
views (using any webmapping js library)
Visualization tool
------------------
I can explore my dataset content using filters related to each form field.
Faceting can be an idea in order to ease filtering. A map shows the resulting
features set, and raw data can be downloaded (geojson, xml). Ideally, I would
like to obtain a filtered dataset using a Web API.
Since data submission can be done programmatically using the API, you could use Carto-forms
results page as a visualization tool.
You can explore my dataset content using filters related to each form field. Facets filtering
is a great advantage, and a map shows the resulting features set. You feel like you're in
front of a decision support system !
Of course, filtered raw data can be downloaded (GeoJSON, XML) and a permalink allows to
share the page with the state of the filters and the zoom/location of the map.
Generic forms service
---------------------
If you want to generate a configuration file (or whatever, email messages, ...),
you will need a form and a template to inlay user submitted values and get the result.
A form service would be really useful to create forms programmatically and retrieve
cleaned and validated input values.
You could run a dedicated template service based on *carto-forms*! Parsing a template
content, this external service could create a form dynamically and bind them together.
The output of the form service (fields => values) would be bound to the input of a template
engine (variables => final result).
Note that for this use-case, there is no specific need of GIS data nor storage of records
for further retrieval.
What's out in the wild already?
===============================
Of course, there is google forms, which allows you to do these kind of things,
Of course, there is Google forms, which allows you to do these kind of things,
but it's closed and not exactly what we are describing here.
We've discovered the interesting https://webform.com/ which allows one to create
@ -129,6 +163,11 @@ forms with a nice drag-n-drop flow. I would love to reproduce something similar
for the user experience. However, the project doesn't handle APIs and
geolocation information.
The idea of http://thoth.io is very attractive : an extremely simple web API to store
and retrieve data. In addition, *carto-forms* would do datatype validation and have
basic GIS fields (point, line, polygon).
So… Let's get it real!
======================