Geoservices

Portrayal services such as web mapping or web GIS applications are geographical information systems (GIS) or mapping facilities for which the data is supplied over the Internet.

The catalogue service for web (CSW) enables you to search for information about the geoservices and geodata of the spatial data infrastructure (SDI).

The Geoinformation Ordinance defines a download service as an Internet service that enables the downloading of copies of geospatial datasets or parts thereof and, where feasible, direct access to them.A download service enables to download/access data that can be further processed and analysed with a GIS software.Based on the granularity provided by at data level, download services can be categorized as:Feature based: a «feature based» download service can provide access to a single object (e.g. a specific address or a specific building) of a dataset;Dataset based: a «dataset based» download service provides access to an complete dataset or parts thereof.Download services for geodata are usually made available via standard web services (e.g. the Web Feature Service by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)) and Application Programming Interfaces (e.g. the OGC API - Features).

The «Geoservices application profile» (eCH 0056) provides a guide for the implementation of geoservices in Switzerland and is, due to its reference to Art. 7 Geo-swisstopo, a legally binding standard for basic geoservices developed on the basis of the basic geodata of the federal legislation, or of their competent authorities.

Linked data refers to using the Web to connect related data that were not previously linked. The data are identified, shared and referenced by Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). The Resource Description Framework (RDF) and the underlying standards like SPARQL are used to encode and link the data.

INSPIRE Services consist among others of View Services (WMS) and Download Services (ATOM/OS).

Free acquisition and use