MAPB

MapB is a cross-platform open-source mapping framework intended for building interactive geospatial applications. It offers a rendering engine, data abstraction, and UI components that support vector and raster data, with emphasis on modularity and extensibility.

The architecture comprises a core rendering engine built on WebGL, a data layer that handles GeoJSON, vector tiles, and external data formats, a plugin system for extensions, and a collection of UI widgets for map controls, legends, and analytics panels. Styling is defined via a declarative map style language, inspired by common standards, enabling themes and accessibility features.

History and governance: Conceived in 2018 by a consortium of developers and GIS organizations, MapB released its first stable version in 2020. It is maintained by a not-for-profit foundation with an open governance model and a six-week release cadence. Community contributions and documentation are central to its workflow.

Usage and reception: MapB has been adopted by municipal GIS portals, environmental monitoring projects, and educational platforms in a hypothetical region. Critics note performance considerations on very large datasets without tiling, while others praise its extensibility, clear API, and strong documentation.

See also: related mapping projects MapA and MapC.