# Ruby GUI GIS Application **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 15, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-gui-gis-application/175525 "2009-09-15T06:51:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-gui-gis-application/175525/1 "2009-09-15T06:51:33Z")
I’m looking to move from Perl to either Ruby, Java, or Python. Looking at my three choices I like Ruby the best. However, I need to make a GUI where I can make a map window and import layers like roads and political boundaries. The window also needs to pan and zoom in/out and maybe interface with PostGIS. Some of my files will be ShapeFiles and I need to place markers on the map and color them by value. Can Ruby do this and is there a recommended tool-kit? Thanks, Adam ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-gui-gis-application/175525/2 "2009-09-15T08:19:21Z")
> However, I need to make a GUI where I can make a map window and import > layers like roads and political boundaries. The window also needs to > pan and zoom in/out and maybe interface with PostGIS. Some of my files > will be ShapeFiles and I need to place markers on the map and color them > by value. > > Can Ruby do this and is there a recommended tool-kit? Your GUI application seems appropriate for something like WebKit, assuming you’ll be working with the Google Maps API. In that case, you could look into Titanium, which allows Ruby or Python to be used: > **[The Appcelerator Offering Has been Discontinued](https://www.axway.com/en/appcelerator-end-of-life)** > > \*/ For a nice ruby framework (built on top of Titanium in fact), take a look at Bowline: [http://leadthinking.com/191-bowline-a-ruby-gui-framework](http://leadthinking.com/191-bowline-a-ruby-gui-framework) > **[GitHub - maccman/bowline: Ruby/JS GUI and Binding framework (deprecated)](https://github.com/maccman/bowline)** > > Ruby/JS GUI and Binding framework (deprecated). Contribute to maccman/bowline development by creating an account on GitHub. If you want to go the minimal route instead, there are also plain ruby bindings for the gtk+ port of webkit, if that’s preferable: > Of course, if you don’t need webkit, there are a few more options. The ruby bindings for gtk2 and qt should get you far: [http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Languages/Ruby](http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Languages/Ruby) > **[The source of https://ruby-gnome.github.io/](https://ruby-gnome.github.io/)** > > The source of https://ruby-gnome.github.io/ I personally really like Shoes, and LimeLight looks promising. But these frameworks aren’t quite mature yet, and may not be appropriate for the type of application you want to make. And Shoes is in temporary disarray as the maintainer (\_why the lucky stiff) mysteriously disappeared, but the community has been picking it up rather well. [http://limelight.8thlight.com/main/sparkle](http://limelight.8thlight.com/main/sparkle) [http://shoes.heroku.com/](http://shoes.heroku.com/) - Ehsan ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-gui-gis-application/175525/3 "2009-09-15T13:17:56Z")
On Tue, 2009-09-15 at 13:49 +0900, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > I’m looking to move from Perl to either Ruby, Java, or Python. Looking > at my three choices I like Ruby the best. > > However, I need to make a GUI where I can make a map window and import > layers like roads and political boundaries. The window also needs to > pan and zoom in/out and maybe interface with PostGIS. Some of my files > will be ShapeFiles and I need to place markers on the map and color them > by value. > > Can Ruby do this and is there a recommended tool-kit? In my case I am using OpenLayers, an open source javascript library similar to google maps as the user interface within my web application. You can write a small viewer as you describe just with some few lines. The data is provided by a local Mapserver ([mapserver.org](http://mapserver.org)) using WMS - Openlayers can interface with it. Mapserver can be scripted in ruby. Mapserver can also read and publish shapefiles. The great advantage is that you can connect any other GIS application to your datasets… If you use ActiveRecord and PostGIS - there is ruby support for it: [http://rubyforge.org/projects/georuby/](http://rubyforge.org/projects/georuby/) Martin ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-gui-gis-application/175525/4 "2009-09-15T10:14:06Z")
On 15/09/2009 07:13, Ehsanul H. wrote: > Of course, if you don’t need webkit, there are a few more options. The ruby bindings for gtk2 and qt should get you far: > > [http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Languages/Ruby](http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Languages/Ruby) Google used QT for Google Earth, so I think it would be reasonable to assume that it is quite good for doing GIS-like stuff. [http://qt.nokia.com/qt-in-use/story/app/google-earth](http://qt.nokia.com/qt-in-use/story/app/google-earth) Charles