Course content

The CGDI online training is divided into the following nine modules:

Module 1, Introduction to CGDI Online Training, explains the structure for this online training course, and how to navigate through the modules.

Module 2, Using the CGDI, introduces you to this important national initiative that is making Canada’s geospatial information available over the Internet.

Module 3, Standards-based Web Development, describes the various geospatial standards and specifications at the core of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure.

Module 4, Describing Geospatial Resources, discusses the importance of using metadata to describe your geospatial data and services so that others may find and use them.

Module 5, Publishing Geospatial Data, explains the steps involved in publishing your geospatial data within the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure so that users can find and access your data.

Module 6, Visualizing Geospatial Data, introduces you to various web map services endorsed by the CGDI, including web map servers, styled layer descriptors and web map context documents.

Module 7, Accessing Geospatial Data, describes how to encode, store and transfer geospatial information using several CGDI-endorsed standards and specifications: Geography Markup Language, web feature servers, and filter encoding.

Module 8, Using Gazetteers, describes several free web gazetteers from the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure.

Module 9, The CGDI in Action, provides examples of how different organizations are using the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure to enhance the geospatial services they provide.

Finally, you can access the online List of Abbreviations and Glossary at anytime throughout your training.

Note that this training is not intended to teach you how to implement specific CGDI tools and technologies; rather, it aims to give you a general understanding of the steps involved in their implementation. For instance, the training introduces you to the functions and advantages of using web map services, and provides you with the internationally accepted implementation specifications for you to follow, but does not provide specific instructions on how to integrate them into your own custom applications.

For specific implementation questions, please visit the CGDI’s Developer’s Corner at http://www.geoconnections.org/en/communities/developers/index.html. You can also join the CGDI development network and mailing list, at http://lists.geoconnections.org/mailman/listinfo/cgdi-dev-net.

In keeping with one of the general principles of spatial data infrastructures, as much of the training content as possible is maintained at the source. Wherever possible, you are directed to the providers of the geospatial specifications, data, tools and services, in order that you always receive the most current version available.