DotSpatial Documentation

Documentation for Library Users

DotSpatial Programmer Tutorials

  • Visit the DotSpatial Tutorials page for tutorials and sample code
  • Sample code on the MapWindow 6 CodePlex site (this code needs to be migrated onto the DotSpatial codeplex site directly, and updated with correct namespaces, etc.)
  • Develop a plugin, using our template.
  • Find the packages on nuget.

DotSpatial SDK Style Documentation

Developer Getting Started Guide

     
  • The Getting Started Guide will help get you started with the basics of dragging and dropping controls as well as controlling symbology. Any references to "MapWindow.dll" should be replaced with DotSpatial.

Watch a Video

  • Build a GIS from scratch - Note this video was created in 2010 when the DotSpatial library was still called MapWindow6.dll. But you can get a pretty good idea of how the API works in drag-n-drop mode. 

Library Specific Documentation

Documentation for Code Contributors

The design architecture of DotSpatial follows two paradigms.  The first is to separate the graphical user interfaces from the business logic.  The second is to use a larger number of modules to increase code reusability, and allow access to parts of the framework without requiring the entire thing.  However, great energy is being spent to ensure the libraries work as well together as if they were all part of the same framework. The DotSpatial libraries follow the modular layout shown below. Areas for which some end user documentation is available or under development appear in color.  Areas which are not yet documented are gray. Additionally, see the specific resources for users and code contributors below. 
Tools Analysis    
Shape Editor App Controls    
  Modeling Forms Modeling  
  Symbology Forms Symbology  
  Data Forms Data GDAL Extension
  Projections Forms Projections Topology
  Positioning Forms Positioning Serialization

Last edited Jan 17, 2012 at 5:13 PM by mudnug, version 80

Comments

Joska Sep 17, 2012 at 1:34 AM 
How to Setup the Tool Manager
http://screencast.com/t/GFIbtZ3iB

i did this and some searching on the forum and the tools didnt appear.... is it cause im using 2010 express?

Joska Sep 5, 2012 at 6:53 PM 
In my opinion the programm deserves a more up to date step by step to set the most used items up.... so man things arent as obvious as you may expect.... when in fact they are...

I for now am very busy to understand why I couldnt install the toolbox... its a lot of work to understand every next step... some things are obsolete, most examples out of date or written in csharp or many easy assumptions are made in examples.....

matspca May 13, 2012 at 4:53 PM 
I am going to attempt to make the data model persistent using VelocityDB. Any suggestions for how to start this task and how to stay up to date with new versions of dotspatial? Essentially XML serializtion would no longer be needed. VelocityDB persistence is way more efficient and can happen while working on a project automaticly. I am brand new to this but I have clients who wants this functionality with persitence in VelocityDB. Any suggestions are welcome. Send to Mats@VelocityDB.com

mudnug Apr 30, 2012 at 9:24 PM 
Note that the first video is very much out of date, but there are some newer tutorials at http://dotspatial.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=DotSpatial%20Tutorials&referringTitle=Documentation

DruidGetitfixed Apr 16, 2012 at 11:00 PM 
Please, please, please add some more videos. Preferably with a step or two beyond where these get to and with a little more explanation of why things are done the way they are. These are so useful in understanding the relationships between the various elements of the DotSpatial framework and the intentions of the designers of how they are meant to be used.

mudnug Feb 4, 2011 at 4:06 PM 
Here are a few videos to help you get started with the Dec 15, 2010 release.

Creating a new project and getting the visual components and references wired up in Visual C# 2010 Express (except Tool Manager).
http://screencast.com/t/htiyqvLh

How to add DotSpatial controls to Toolbox
http://screencast.com/t/tuEfbInl

How to Setup the Tool Manager
http://screencast.com/t/GFIbtZ3iB