Integration WebGIS with AJAX and XML Based on Google Maps

AJAX, a core technology of Web 2.0, is aroused attention by both industry and academia. Google Maps is a classical Web application service based on AJAX. This paper presents a WebGIS framework of web application with AJAX and XML data. Based on Google Maps service, the framework uses XMLHttpRequest objects which call the XML data and load the geographic information dynamically. The framework is consisted of different information sources and has the following characteristics: it can be accessed quickly, can be customized and extended, and can make asynchronous requests between the browser and the server. On the whole, the framework improves the efficiency of WebGIS application.