Mapsstyle

Mapsstyle is a declarative styling language and file format used to describe the visual presentation of geographic maps across software platforms. It separates data from presentation, allowing map designers to specify how features such as land use, water, roads, and labels should appear under varying conditions. A Mapsstyle document defines sources, layers, and rules that the rendering engine applies when drawing a map.

A Mapsstyle document typically includes a version, a collection of data sources (vector tiles, raster imagery, GeoJSON), and a stack of styling layers. Each layer references a data source and contains two main groups: paint properties (color, opacity, width, texture) and layout properties (symbol placement, label size). Styles can be conditioned by data attributes and by zoom level, with data-driven expressions allowing properties to vary with feature properties or scale.

Interoperability and usage: The goal is portability across engines; Mapsstyle is often serialized as JSON or YAML and can be loaded from local files or remote URLs. Rendering engines interpret the style to render the map, enabling theme switching, customization, and consistent branding across apps. Accessibility considerations include color contrast, label legibility, and scalable typography.

History and context: Mapsstyle emerged as part of a broader movement to standardize map aesthetics and separate design from data. It is conceptually akin to other map styling languages and has influenced open-source styling tools and map renderers. Adoption varies by platform, with several projects providing editor tooling and style repositories to share themes.