GlobStory - Interactive Historical Map and Wikipedia Explorer

GlobStory is an interactive web application that combines historical maps with Wikipedia content, allowing users to explore historical information in a geographical context. The application enables users to visualize historical events, places, and timelines on a map while accessing relevant Wikipedia articles.

Features

• Interactive historical map with time slider control
• Wikipedia article integration with smart word and year detection
• Multi-language support for various Wikipedia editions
• Automatic location detection and highlighting for place names in articles
• Year detection and time navigation from article content
• Responsive design for desktop and mobile devices
• User settings with persistent storage
• Dark/light theme options
• Customizable interface elements

Directory Structure

globstory/
├── css/
│   ├── styles.css                  # Main stylesheet
│   └── leaflet-ohm-timeslider.css  # TimeSlider control styles
├── images/
│   └── GlobStory_logo150x150.png   # Application logo
├── js/
│   ├── main.js                     # Main application JavaScript
│   ├── mapstyle.js                 # Map styling definition
│   ├── decimaldate.js              # Date conversion utilities
│   └── leaflet-ohm-timeslider.js   # TimeSlider control
└── index.html                      # Main HTML file

Setup

1. Download or clone the repository
2. Host the files on a web server or open index.html directly in a browser
3. No server-side components are required - the application runs entirely in the browser

Dependencies

• Leaflet - For interactive maps
• MapLibre GL JS - For vector tile rendering
• Leaflet-MiniMap - For the overview map
• Font Awesome - For icons

Usage

• Search for Wikipedia articles using the search box
• Click on place names in articles to locate them on the map
• Click on years to navigate the historical timeline
• Use the language selector to change the Wikipedia language
• Customize the application behavior using the settings panel

Testing

The project does not yet ship with an automated test suite. When updating the front-end, smoke-test the experience by opening app.html in a browser and confirming that map interactions respond to highlighted places and years.

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Placeholder Files

Note: The GlobStory_logo150x150.png file is a placeholder and should be replaced with an actual logo before deployment.