Having just delved into the VE API source regarding RSS feeds, looking for node names that are being used by VE RSS parser, the RSS 2 standard is supported, for markers/icons where the georss:point node is used For poly objects such as polylines, and polygons (georss:line georss:polygon ) there is no support for style i.e.

1. Polygon line colour

2. Polygon line width

3. Polygon line transparency

4. Polygon fill colour

5. Polygon fill transparency

6. Polygon line style

After much thought about this problem and the lack of style support for poly objects in the standard I have decided to write my own Geo RSS 2 Plus AJAX XML parser and extend the Geo RSS 2 standard, to provide full support for poly objects, and their styling. The proposed node names are as follows.

In addition to the nodes supporting georss:point

georss:line Value = Object Points in Lat/Lon

georss:line-color Value = RGB color e.g. 100,100,100

georss:line-width Value = integer

georss:line-transparency Value = 0.0 to 1

georss:perimeter Value = float

georss:perimeter-units Value = KM/ Miles/Nautical Miles e.g. KM,ML,NM

georss:line-style Value = Dot/Dash etc

georss:show-marker // True or False Values = 1,-1

georss:polygon Value = Object Points in Lat/Lon

georss:line-color Value = RGB color e.g. 100,100,100

georss:line-width Value = integer

georss:line-transparency Value = 0.0 to 1

georss:fill-color Value = RGB color e.g. 100,100,100

georss:fill-transparency Value = 0.0 to 1

georss:line-style Value = Dot/Dash etc

georss:area Value = float

georss:area-units Values = Acres/Hectares/KM/ Miles/Nautical Miles e.g.A,H KM,ML,NM

georss:perimeter Value = float

georss:perimeter-units Value = KM/ Miles/Nautical Miles e.g. KM,ML,NM

georss:show-marker // True or False Values = 1,-1

georss:circle Value = Single Object Point in Lat/Lon

georss:radius Value = float

georss:radius-units Value = KM/ Miles/Nautical Miles e.g. KM,ML,NM

georss:line-color Value = RGB color e.g. 100,100,100

georss:line-width Value = integer

georss:line-transparency Value = 0.0 to 1

georss:fill-color Value = RGB color e.g. 100,100,100

georss:fill-transparency Value = 0.0 to 1

georss:line-style Value = Dot/Dash etc

georss:area Value = float

georss:area-units Values = Acres/Hectares/KM/ Miles/Nautical Miles e.g.A,H KM,M,NM

georss:perimeter Value = float

georss:perimeter-units Value = KM/ Miles/Nautical Miles e.g. KM,ML,NM

georss:show-marker // True or False Values = 1,-1

georss:rss-file Value = URL //Call another RSS feed from within a RSS feed i.e. Multiple RSS feed Collections

georss:ms-collection Value = CollectionID //Call a MS Collection

I plan to write two versions of the Geo RSS 2 Plus AJAX XML parser, supporting Virtual Earth, and Google Maps, so that the same RSS feed can be used in both mapping systems, with the exceptions of Geo:ms-collection which would only be supported in Virtual Earth.

On completion I will publish the code in the hope that Geo RSS 2 Plus will become widely used. Sorry to the standards committee but needs must. This will be released under open source.

At the same time I plan to have a commercial application available that will convert ESRI shape files and mapinfo files to Geo RSS 2 Plus, allowing easy import of these files into Virtual Earth, and Google Maps.

Any comments or additions greatly received.

Duncan Garratt

www.gis-logic.co.uk

<item>

<legend>

0 or -1 Value = true or false 0 = truefor use in building legend items.

</legend>

<id>

integer value = e.g. 123456

</id>

<title>

A marker title

</title>

<description>

<![CDATA[A description OR HTML]]>

</description>

<link>

<![CDATA[A link or links]]>

//Link separator is char | i.e. multiple links in a roll over window

</link>

<email-link>

<![CDATA[An email link or email links]]>

//Email Link separator is char | i.e. multiple email links in a roll over window

</email-link>

<media>

A media file or stream URL

</media>

<media-autoplay>

0 or 1 Value = true or false 0 = true

</media-autoplay>

<image>

<![CDATA[An image or multiple images]]>

//image Link separator is char | i.e. multiple images in a roll over window

</image>

<georss:point>

46.183, –123.816

</georss:point>

<icon>

URL for a marker Icon

</icon>

<display-order>

1234

</display-order>

</item>

Link separator char |

For the parser to determine each link

Display Orders

1 = Description

2 = Link

3 = Email Link

4 = Media

5 = Image

e.g. = 1235 or 14 or 421 etc

Between each display object the parser will add <br><br> i.e. Description, Image etc

Legend

If true function BuildLegendItem() is called for each item, after that item has been parsed.

Please note if true the marker is not plotted

Developers can change the contents of this function so that your own style of legends can be built.

Please Note the use of CDATA

In an XML document or external parsed entity, a CDATA section is a section of element content that is marked for the parser to interpret as only character data, not markup. A CDATA section is merely an alternative syntax for expressing character data; there is no semantic difference between character data that manifests as a CDATA section and character data that manifests as in the usual syntax in which "<" and "&" would be represented by "<" and "&", respectively.

Example: A custom marker and description.

Please note the entire HTML would be included within the description, so the formatting of the content would be down to the developer.

<item>

<legend>

-1//Value = false

</legend>

<id>

integer value = e.g. 123456

</id>

<title>

A marker title

</title>

<description>

<![CDATA[A description OR HTML]]>

</description>

<icon>

URL for a marker Icon

</icon>

<georss:point>

46.183 –123.816

</georss:point>

</item>