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Mastering OpenLayers 3
Mastering OpenLayers 3

Mastering OpenLayers 3: Create powerful applications with the most robust open source web mapping library using this advanced guide

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Mastering OpenLayers 3

Chapter 2. Applying Custom Styles

We covered the basics of the library in the previous chapter. Before moving on and learning how to code great applications with the library, we will cover the basics of applying custom styles with CSS and the methods offered by OpenLayers 3. The CSS part requires some basic knowledge in styling, but the more advanced techniques will be discussed in greater details.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

  • Modifying the default appearance of the map with CSS
  • Applying custom styles to vector layers
  • Customizing controls
  • Creating a WebGIS application layout

Before getting started

Before moving on and customizing the default appearance, we should talk about its rendering process. OpenLayers 3 is a canvas-based web mapping library, which means that it draws everything it can on a single canvas element. This not only makes the rendering process faster, but also prevents direct styling with CSS. However, there are some parts rendered as pure DOM elements. These parts, specifically the controls, overlays, and drag boxes, can be styled directly. For the other parts, like vector data, the capabilities of the canvas element can be used for styling, mostly with inner methods. We will discuss rendering in a later chapter in more detail. For now, keeping this nature of the library in mind should be enough.

Tip

Using the DOM renderer opens up new possibilities in CSS styling. However, it cannot render vector data in SVG format; therefore, you can only style image layers directly. The library also loses performance; thus, using the DOM renderer should be...

Customizing the default appearance

Now that we are clear about what parts can be customized with CSS, let's make an attempt to use it in practice. Firstly, we will need the code from the example in the previous chapter. If you look at the code appendix, you will see some files starting with ch02_css. The html and js files are exactly the same as we used in the last chapter. In this example, all the magic will take place in the css file.

Note

If you take a look at the html file, you can see our custom css file is declared after the official css file. This was done due to the phenomenon called CSS specificity. If two CSS file declarations are made to the same element with the same specificity, the order of the declarations will define the styling. As we have declared our custom css file after the official one, it will overwrite the default styling.

Identifying the classes

Open up the first example, called ch02_css.html, in your browser. You can see the already modified look of the previous...

Styling vector layers

You might or you might not be familiar with vector styling at this point. If you know about the concept, however, a little revision won't hurt. In this example, we will change the default vector style of the example dataset to green stars. As vector data is drawn directly to the canvas by the library, their styles can be changed only by inner methods with a limited set of values.

You can see a js file named ch02_vector in the code appendix. You can use this file with the previous example or extend the original one with the following rules:

var vectorLayer = new ol.layer.Vector({
    source: new ol.source.Vector({
        format: new ol.format.GeoJSON({
            defaultDataProjection: 'EPSG:4326'
        }),
        url: '../../res/world_capitals.geojson',
        attributions: [
            new ol.Attribution({
                html: 'World Capitals © Natural Earth'
            })
        ]
    }),
    style: new ol.style.Style...

Customizing the appearance with JavaScript

Apart from direct styling with CSS, OpenLayers 3 offers some methods to specify the appearance of our maps. These methods can be used to make such changes in the behavior of the controls, which would otherwise be quite hard to achieve, if not impossible. In the next example, we will look at some of the JavaScript-based customizing options.

If you open up the code attachment, you can see some files named ch02_controls. In these files, you can examine the changes we made to the previous example. The main changes, like the title suggests, will be in the JavaScript part of the example.

Changing the overview map and the scale bar

In this example, we will group the controls based on their position on the map. In the bottom-left corner, we already lifted the overview map above the scale bar. Now, it is time to change some of their inner properties:

var map = new ol.Map({
    […]
    controls: [
        […]
        new ol.control.ScaleLine({...

Creating a WebGIS client layout

Now that we are quite familiar with the possibilities of styling our maps with CSS and the inner methods, the next step is to create the layout of a WebGIS application. This step requires us to rethink our design patterns. The goal of this chapter is to create an application-specific design that doesn't prevent future developers from using the default options. This way, we can create a general wrapper API, which extends the capabilities of the library in a developer-friendly way.

Building the HTML

First, let's extend the HTML part of our application. For a proper WebGIS client, the map canvas is only a part of the complete application. As mentioned in the beginning, for now, we only build the tool bar and the notification bar. We extend the HTML like in the example named ch02_webgis.html:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8">
        <title>Chapter 2 - Preparing...

Before getting started


Before moving on and customizing the default appearance, we should talk about its rendering process. OpenLayers 3 is a canvas-based web mapping library, which means that it draws everything it can on a single canvas element. This not only makes the rendering process faster, but also prevents direct styling with CSS. However, there are some parts rendered as pure DOM elements. These parts, specifically the controls, overlays, and drag boxes, can be styled directly. For the other parts, like vector data, the capabilities of the canvas element can be used for styling, mostly with inner methods. We will discuss rendering in a later chapter in more detail. For now, keeping this nature of the library in mind should be enough.

Tip

Using the DOM renderer opens up new possibilities in CSS styling. However, it cannot render vector data in SVG format; therefore, you can only style image layers directly. The library also loses performance; thus, using the DOM renderer should be...

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Key benefits

  • Develop responsive and platform-independent web mapping applications with OpenLayers 3
  • Learn the key points of creating great applications with native JavaScript through the step-by-step examples
  • Master the use of the library, from compiling custom builds to developing a complete WebGIS appliation

Description

OpenLayers 3 allows you to create stunning web mapping and WebGIS applications. It uses modern, cutting edge browser technologies. It is written with Closure Library, enabling you to build browser-independent applications without painful debugging ceremonies, which even have some limited fallback options for older browsers. With this guide, you will be introduced to the world of advanced web mapping and WebGIS. First, you will be introduced to the advanced features and functionalities available in OpenLayers 3. Next, you will be taken through the key points of creating custom applications with OpenLayers 3. You will then learn how to create the web mapping application of yours (or your company's) dream with this open source, expense-free, yet very powerful library. We’ll also show you how to make amazing looking thematic maps and create great effects with canvas manipulation. By the end of this book, you will have a strong command of web mapping and will be well on your way to creating amazing applications using OpenLayers 3.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for front-end developers with basic understanding of JavaScript and GIS concepts, and preferably for those who are familiar with the fundamentals of OpenLayers 3. You might have never used OpenLayers 3 as a seasoned JavaScript developer. If this is the case and you are eager to learn web mapping, this book will definitely set you on the right track.

What you will learn

  • Use the advanced functionality of the OpenLayers 3 library effectively
  • Implement the library in your application, shaping it to your needs
  • Manage layers and the layer stack dynamically
  • Create not only stunning but also accurate thematic maps
  • Extend OpenLayers 3 with your own custom classes
  • Develop mobile-friendly web mapping applications
  • • Make stunning effects with canvas manipulation, or visualize point clouds with WebGL
  • • Integrate third-party applications, and create custom builds that completely satisfy your needs
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Table of Contents

11 Chapters
1. Creating Simple Maps with OpenLayers 3 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Applying Custom Styles Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Working with Layers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Using Vector Data Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Creating Responsive Applications with Interactions and Controls Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Controlling the Map – View and Projection Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Mastering Renderers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. OpenLayers 3 for Mobile Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Tools of the Trade – Integrating Third-Party Applications Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Compiling Custom Builds with Closure Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.7
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4 star 33.3%
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Maru Jan 14, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Wenn man etwas JavaScript Kenntnisse mitbringt kann man gemütlich das Buch durchschmökern und bekommt konkrete Ideen wo man seine OL3 Ansätze optimieren kann.
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Delivered as described.
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Storytellers Rising Mar 31, 2016
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This book was easy to read and answered a lot of my questions, however, there were a lot of references to code. It's a good reference for what I am doing in my current job.
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