How do I use a WMS?

There are two ways to use a web map service: by consuming data in an application that supports WMS, and by publishing your data with a web map server.

There are many ways to consume web map services: you need only find a web site that incorporates geospatial content, or “intelligence”, with a web map server.

Click on the numbers below for a demonstration of an application (Trailpaq), that uses a web map server.

To request a map like the one above, a client may specify:

1. One or more layers (the information to be shown on the map);
2. The style of those layers;
3. The bounding box (portion of the Earth to be mapped);
4. The spatial reference system (SRS) (the geographic coordinate reference system to be used);
5. The desired output format;
6. The output size (width and height); and
7. The background transparency and colour.

For another example of a web site that incorporates a variety of web map services, see the Geography Network.