i have to write an application where similar to Google Maps where i have to display a shapefile in a web application. My available technologies are Java (frontend framework: Apache Wicket) or PHP. It has to work under Firefox 4+ and IE8+
What are my options?
I have found a JS library:
http://badassjs.com/post/845509816/rendering-binary-shapefiles-with-javascript
But it does not seem to work under IE8.
I have read about Web Map Service (WMS). That seems to do the job but requires setting up another server. I could probably live with that.
Are there any other options? What are the best options?
Best Answer
There are a lot of options. OpenLayers or Leaflet are probably a good place to start for the client side and they can read local shapefiles. For more options have a look at the OsGeo website (especially note the webmapping links on the right hand side).