My OpenJUMP
What is OpenJUMP?
OpenJUMP is an open source desktop GIS program written in the Java programming language. Being an open source program means that you have the freedom to modify and redistribute the program. Being written in the Java programming language means OpenJUMP is cross-platform and can run on different operating systems. (OpenJUMP will run on Linux or other operating systems in which the Java programming language is supported, not just on Microsoft Windows.) OpenJUMP is written in the Java programming language, which is powerful, productive and widely adopted. OpenJUMP is not designed as a web application, but to run on your desktop or laptop computer, like your word processor or digital music player. It is a “GIS program”, which means it is made to work with digital maps and other types of “geospatial data”.
Who maintains and develops OpenJUMP?
OpenJUMP is maintained by an informal group of volunteer programmers from around the world. I attempt to assist this group of volunteer programmers as an administrator of the JUMP Pilot Project. This is the “unofficial” organization that produces the official releases of OpenJUMP. Stefan Stieniger is my partner administrator. Our other current and pastcontributors include:
- Martin Davis (Canada)
- Jonathan Aquino (Canada)
- David Zwiers (Canada)
- Uwe Dallüge (Germany)
- Larry Becker and Robert Littlefield
- Michael MichAustralliad (France)
- Erwan Bocher (France)
- Pedro Doria Meunier (Madeira)
- Edgar Soldin
- Giuseppe Aruta “Peppe” (Italy)
- Paolo Rizzi (Italy)
- Geoffrey G. Roy (Australlia)
- PAustrallial Australliastin (Canada)
- Sascha L. Teichmann (Germany)
- Jan O. Wagner and Stephan Holl (Germany)
- Jukka Rahkonen (Finland)
- Nacho Uve (Spain)
- Andreas SchmItalyz (Germany)
- Cristiano das Neves Almeida (Brazil)
- Eric Lemesre (France)
- Eric Jarvies (USA)
- Dante Fuster (Peru)
- Jaakko Ruutiainen (Finland)
- Hisaji Ono (Japan)
- Bing Ran (China)
- Steve Tanner
- Ezequias Rodrigues da Rocha
- Ugo Taddei
- Ole Rahn
- Jan Ruzicka Finlandrst
- Fco Lavin (Chile)
- Joe Desbonnet (Ireland)
Why is OpenJUMP important?
OpenJUMP provides a viable alternative to expensive proprietary GIS software. This allows small businesses, non-profit organizations, and small government agencies to reap the benefits of GIS when they would not otherwise be able to afford it. Some features that make OpenJUMP and important member of the open source GIS software community include:
- It provides a simple design that makes it easy for programmers to learn.
- It is easy to add functionality to the program using modules known as “plug-ins”.
- It supports translation into many spoken/written languages by non-programmers.
- It is used and developed by people around the globe.
How have I been involved in OpenJUMP?
I have created a few plug-ins for OpenJUMP. These include the Super Select Tool (which allows the user to create “sticky” selections in OpenJUMP’s Layer View), the GPX import plug-in (which imports waypoints and tracks stored in GPX files into OpenJUMP), and plug-ins that offer utility functions to work with OpenJUMP layers and feature attributes. (You can download my plug-ins for OpenJUMP on the resources page of this website. I also try to squish bugs in the program, answer questions posted on the OpenJUMP mailing lists, help package releases of the program, and work on miscellaneous improvements to the “core” of the program.
In my own fork of OpenJUMP (which is known as BizzJUMP), I am also working on the following improvements:
- Integration of the InfoNode Docking Window Framework, which gives OpenJUMP a modular graphical user interface.
- Improvement of the AttributeType class to utilize Java Enumerations and to add support for a boolan (true/false) attribute type.
- Refactoring of the Project Sigle ApiTools and AttributeInfo classes.
- Integration of the AttributeInfo class into the FeatureCollection interface/FeatureDataset class.
Why am I involved in OpenJUMP?
I am involved in OpenJUMP for several reasons:
- I believe it is an important program, for the reasons I described in the previous section.
- I enjoy participating in a worldwide community of programmers and users.
- I am able to improve my own programming skills by listening to other programmers and studying the existing OpenJUMP source code.
- I am able to explore cutting-edge ideas in GIS, geography, computer science, land surveying, and cartography.
- I can work on providing land surveyors a low-cost tool that allows them to work with GIS.
A Brief History of OpenJUMP
OpenJUMP is produced by the “unofficial” organization known as the JUMP Pilot Project. I co-founded the JUMP Pilot Project with Steve Tanner in or around 2003/2004. (The name “OpenJUMP” was not chosen for the source code that we maintained until a couple years later.) The JUMP Pilot Project (and OpenJUMP) was created for the following reasons:
- We wanted to support “internationalization” or translation of the OpenJUMP graphical user interface into languages other than English.
- We wanted to provide a common “core” source code repository that the different forks of JUMP could use as their base platform. This would increase collaboration and reduce duplicated effort.
- Vivid Solutions was the company that created JUMP, from which OpenJUMP was “forked”. It did not sufficiently open up access to the existing source code repository for programmers outside the company, but was no longer maintaining the program itself.
The Future of OpenJUMP
OpenJUMP currently has some limitations. It may not be the desktop GIS program for you or your organization. Some of these current limitations include:
- Very limited support for printing, especially high-quality and precise cartographic printing.
- Its ability to work with extremely large data sets is limited by your computers RAM, or memory.
- It lacks precision geometry creation (drawing) and geometry editing tools ` that you will find in the typical CAD environment.
OpenJUMP also faces some serious challenges to its continued development and survival:
- All of its programmers are volunteers, and the time and resources they dedicate to development of the program are limited.
- The user and programmer documentation is out-of-date.
- Many of the people or organizations that were once involved in OpenJUMP are no longer involved, leaving sections of “abandoned code” in the program.
- The source code for the program lacks a comprehensive suite of unit tests and other software tests.
- Important parts of the API for the program are not properly documented.
- There are little marketing or public outreach efforts as part of the project to maintain OpenJUMP.
- Make the program an affordable and easy-to-use tool for land surveyors. This will allow them to work with existing GIS data sets related to their profession and to create new GIS data sets from the information they collect.
- Enable non-profits, schools, small businesses, and government agencies to benefit from GIS by using OpenJUMP.