POLAR

Reusable plugins, extensible library

Use configurable solutions for recurring needs. Designed to fill in the blanks.

Plugins for common features

Configurable solutions for recurring requirements. Add pieces as needed. Currently 17 supported plugins exist. View them in the plugin gallery.

Decentralized

POLAR is built upon the common interfaces defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium ↗, ready to be used with any standard-conforming geospatial infrastructure.

Tried & tested

There are 20+ productive uses of the POLAR library, from minimal inputs in official applications to expert clients for niche cases.

Mobile-friendly UI

The library is focused on making maps accessible on any device; smartphone, tablet, or desktop PC.

EUPL license

POLAR is using the official free software license of the European Union for legally secure usage.

Image of person using a pin to mark a location on a map — *Symbolic image for form map input elements*

Productive usage

POLAR is backed and used by states and government agencies in Germany.

Bremer Wappenzeichen — Freie Hansestadt Bremen

Hamburg-Symbol — Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg

Landessymbol Sachsen-Anhalt — Sachsen-Anhalt

Landessymbol Schleswig-Holstein — Schleswig-Holstein

Senatskanzlei Hamburg

POLAR is used to provide insights into damages of public infrastructure and allows citizens to add additional reports via the Meldemichel ↗.

Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Schleswig-Holstein

POLAR is used to display cultural monuments in Schleswig-Holstein via the monument map ↗.

We're using POLAR in-house whenever geospatial input or display is required.

Plugin gallery

Everything works standalone. Everything works together.

Media

Watch our latest talk for a comprehensive explanation of architecture and configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does POLAR cost?

Nothing. POLAR is a free piece of software that does not lock you into any sort of infrastructure. You may either download it ↗ directly from our GitHub or load it via package managers like NPM: npm i @polar/client-generic

^{SUPPORT US} If you want to support our ongoing efforts, contact us.

^{UPDATE US} If you use POLAR, tell us! We're always happy to see our library in new environments.

I need more features, what do I do now?

Not all included features are documented on this page. Refer to us or our documentation with any inquiry before putting in work.

Should the feature really not exist, we will find a solution together. POLAR is designed open for extension: You may, at any time, add missing pieces yourself without further ado. We'll also gladly accept commissions to write additional features.

Where do I get map services?

POLAR does not provide backend services, but a map UI. It is designed to work with decentralized geospatial infrastructure. E.g. Hamburg offers a huge pool of geospatial services ↗ for anyone to use.

👉 Need support regarding your region? Contact us. There's regional differences, but we've researched this a few times already.

The configurable map element solution