Mapbender Digitizer — Spatial Editing Module for Public-Sector Geoportals
YAML-configured browser editing for points, lines, polygons — 344 commits on mapbender-digitizer.
Mapbender Digitizer is a core Mapbender product module for browser-based spatial feature editing — built during employment at WhereGroup GmbH and still maintained upstream (release 2.0.8, Mar 2026).
Repository: github.com/mapbender/mapbender-digitizer · Docs: Digitizer element · My commits: 344 (3rd top contributor)
What it is
Digitizer is a Mapbender sidepane element that lets users:
- Draw and edit point, line, and polygon geometries on the map
- Capture attributes via YAML-defined forms (tabs, validation, file upload, datepicker)
- List and filter features in HTML tables with spatial search
- Persist to PostgreSQL/PostGIS (Oracle/SpatiaLite experimental)
Unlike Mapbender’s Sketch element, Digitizer stores geometries in database tables — suitable for production capture workflows (damage reporting, asset inventory, municipal planning).
Architecture
flowchart LR
App[Mapbender application] --> Elem[Digitizer element]
Elem --> Schemes[YAML schemes]
Elem --> DM[DataManager bundle]
DM --> Repo[FeatureType repository]
Repo --> DB[(PostGIS / Oracle)]
Elem --> OL[OpenLayers map target]
Each scheme defines: connection, table, geometry type, toolset (drawPolygon, modifyFeature, moveFeature, …), form layout, and role-based allowCreate / allowEdit / allowDelete.
Contribution
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Commits | 344 |
| PRs | 11 |
| Reviews | 6 |
| Period | 2015–2019 |
Work included architecture, clone/duplicate features, form tooling, and integration with Mapbender’s data-source layer.
Deployments
Digitizer shipped in Mapbender geoportals for German public-sector clients — part of a stack reaching 1M+ users aggregate:
- Stadt Wesseling — Schadensmeldung (map capture + photos)
- Kreis Lippe, Stadt Troisdorf — municipal geoportals
- Infrastructure GIS — network asset digitization (SNH/HHVA context)
Related modules
Built alongside vis-ui.js (UI generator) and print/search integrations during WhereGroup tenure.
Tech stack
PHP · Symfony · JavaScript · PostgreSQL/PostGIS · YAML · OpenLayers
Portfolio detail
Full product write-up in CV repo: projects/mapbender-digitizer/overview.md