Web Map Service

OpenGIS Web Map Service (WMS) Implementation Specification

1) Overview
2) Downloads
3) Official Schemas
4) Revision Working Group
5) Related News

1) Overview

The OpenGIS® Web Map Service (WMS) Implementation Specification provides three operations (GetCapabilities, GetMap, and GetFeatureInfo) in support of the creation and display of registered and superimposed map-like views of information that come simultaneously from multiple remote and heterogeneous sources.

When client and server software implements WMS, any client can access maps from any server. Any client can combine maps (overlay them like clear acetate sheets) from one or more servers. Any client can query information from a map provided by any server. While programmers need to write code to implement the specifications, end users can take advantage of products that include them to publish and access geospatial information. Software buyers can choose the best solution for their needs and not worry about if it will work with other solutions; if they all implement the same standard, WMS, they will all work together.

In particular WMS defines:

1. How to request and provide a map as a picture or set of features (GetMap)
   
2. How to get and provide information about the content of a map such as the value of a feature at a location (GetFeatureInfo)
   
3. How to get and provide information about what types of maps a server can deliver (GetCapabilities)
   

   
   
   

   2) Downloads

   Version	Document Title (click to download)	Document #	Type
   1.3.0	Web Map Service	03-109r1	D-RP
   1.3.0	OpenGIS Web Map Service (WMS) Implementation Specification	06-042	IS
   	Web Map Services - Application Profile for EO Products (0.2.0)	07-063	BP
   	OpenGIS Web Map Services - Application Profile for EO Products (0.1.0)	06-093	D-DP
   	OpenGIS Tiled WMS Discussion Paper (0.3.0)	07-057r2	DP
   1.1.1	Web Map Service	01-068r3	D-IS
   1.1	Web Map Service	01-047r2	D-IS
   1.0	Web Map Service	00-028	D-IS
   0.9	WMS - Proposed Animation Service Extension	06-045r1	DP
   0.0.3	WMS Part 2: XML for Requests using HTTP Post	02-017r1	DP
   0.1.0	WMS Change Request: Support for WSDL & SOAP	04-050r1	DP

   
   
   

   3) Official Schemas

   http://schemas.opengis.net/wms/
   
   Note: You may also download All Official OGC Schemas in a single zip file.
   

   4) Revision Working Group

   This specification is currently stable, however, Revision Working Groups are put in place to actively address future changes.

   • The WMS RWG group covering version 1.3.0 has a public page at:

     http://www.opengeospatial.org/projects/groups/wmsrwg

   5) Related News

   OGC Processes Advance GEOSS Interoperability  2007-12-17

   The OGC Announces Styled Layer Descriptor & Symbol Encoding Specifications  2007-08-15

   The OGC Announces New Automated Compliance Tests  2007-06-26

   NGA Standards Document Features OGC Specifications  2007-02-20

   OGC Members Adopt OWS Common 1.1 Specification  2006-12-20

   OGC® Announces RFQ to Extend Reference Implementation in Kentucky  2006-02-14

   The Open Geospatial Consortium’s Web Map Service (WMS) Approved as International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard  2005-12-09

   Go To OGC Press Page