About the Project

The project aimed to enhance the OpenWISP general map with features that improve accessibility, navigation, and monitoring for network administrators. Key additions include indoor floor plan integration, linkable map URLs, and real-time mobile device tracking. These improvements help users manage complex networks more effectively and troubleshoot issues with ease.

The experience presented significant technical challenges that deepened my understanding of mapping libraries like Leaflet.js and netjsongraph.js, while also offering opportunities to collaborate with the open-source community and contribute to a project with global impact.

Building the General Map Enhancements

My contributions focused on making the map interface more intuitive and interactive. I added features like device search, status-based filtering, and seamless access to indoor maps from the general map view. Users can now view specific devices within floor plans, switch between floors, and open maps in fullscreen mode for better visualization. Additionally, users can share URLs that link directly to specific nodes, graph states, or zoom levels, making navigation and collaboration much easier.

Features Implemented

UI improvements on Location Pop-up

The location pop-up in the dashboard map has been enhanced to improve usability and navigation. Users can now search for devices by name and filter them by labels directly within the map interface through a popup above the map. After filtering, users can quickly navigate to the detailed page of the selected device. Additionally, devices associated with floor plans include a button that opens the corresponding floor layout overlay for better visualization.

To optimize performance, infinite scroll has been implemented in the device list table to load data efficiently as users scroll. A debounce mechanism is also applied to the search input, ensuring that unnecessary queries are minimized and the interface remains responsive.

Indoor Map View

If a device has an associated floor plan, a button is displayed that opens the floor plan overlay, allowing users to switch between floors and toggle fullscreen mode for a better visualization experience. Additionally, users can click on a node in the indoor map to open a popup from which they can navigate directly to the device’s detail page, making it easier to access relevant information from within the map.

To optimize performance, separate instances of netjsongraph.js are used in dedicated elements, enabling the map to be shown or hidden efficiently without unnecessary reloads.

Shareable URLs

Support for shareable URLs has been added to the map interface. Whenever users click on a node or link, the URL is dynamically updated with parameters such as the graph ID, node ID, and zoom level to reflect the current view. This allows users to bookmark or share direct links to specific views within both geographic and indoor maps, simplifying navigation and collaboration. The implementation is designed to be standardized and extendable, enabling it to support multiple maps on a single page when needed.

Current state

We are maintaining the gsoc25-map branch as parent branch for all the General map features. Once all the PRs are merged and features are tested and validated, we can proceed with releasing these along with OpenWISP 26.

You can follow the development process and explore the implementation details in the following pull requests:

• Indoor Coordinates Endpoint
• Indoor Floor Plan Integration
• Linkable Map URLs in Monitoring
• Linkable Map URLs in Netjsongraph.js
• Real-Time Mobile Device Tracking

My Experience

My GSoC journey with OpenWISP has been a highly rewarding experience. With the mentorship of Federico Capoano (nemesifier) and Gagan Deep (pandafy), I was able to grow both technically and personally. Their guidance, patience, and feedback helped me navigate challenges while ensuring my contributions aligned with OpenWISP’s architecture and community standards.

During the program, I focused on enhancing the map UI by implementing features such as indoor map views, device search, and improved navigation. This gave me the opportunity to deepen my understanding of front-end optimization, API design, scalable components, and efficient data flow management using tools like netjsongraph.js.

Some of the toughest challenges I encountered included handling conflicts between overlapping Coordinate Reference Systems (CRS) and designing the bookmarkable URL feature. These challenges pushed me to explore libraries like Leaflet.js and netjsongraph.js more thoroughly, broadening my knowledge of mapping tools and data handling techniques.

Beyond coding, engaging with the OpenWISP community through discussions and reviews was a valuable learning experience. The push we needed toward the end of the program was especially helpful—it provided the motivation and structure to stay focused, prioritize tasks, and deliver as much as possible within the timeline. These final weeks taught me the importance of discipline, time management, and perseverance when contributing to open-source projects. I’m grateful for the support I received, which strengthened my skills, confidence, and commitment to open-source development.

What's Next?

As my GSoC journey comes to an end, I am excited to continue contributing to OpenWISP. In the near term, I will focus on refining the shareable URLs feature to ensure that it performs reliably across different maps and user interactions. I also plan to complete the real-time mobile device tracking functionality by implementing efficient data handling and synchronization methods.

Looking ahead, I hope to further improve the map UI, explore additional optimizations, and expand the set of features that make network monitoring easier and more intuitive. User feedback will be essential in identifying areas that need enhancement, and I plan to actively engage with the community to gather insights and iterate on solutions.

I am committed to maintaining and supporting the features I’ve developed, addressing bugs, and helping other contributors onboard smoothly. Open-source development has been a transformative experience for me, and I look forward to being an active member of the OpenWISP community, learning continuously, and contributing to projects that have real-world impact.