From a simple map to a full Web GIS system — built with Claude Code.
This post marks a new stage in how I build software.
I did not write the code for these projects by hand. Claude Code did.
My role changed: I became the architect, the product owner, and the reviewer — not the typist.
I started small.
A simple project using pure JavaScript and Leaflet — no frameworks, just fundamentals.
The goal was to understand how maps actually work:
- how tiles load
- how layers are structured
- how GeoJSON is rendered
- how user interaction is handled
I designed it. Claude Code implemented it. I read every line.
That project became my foundation in Web GIS.
Then I pushed it further.
I designed a full-stack Web GIS application for Oil & Gas data, and directed Claude Code to build it with:
- real-time spatial queries (PostGIS)
- a FastAPI backend
- viewport-based loading (bbox filtering)
- dynamic filters (status-based)
- layer control + UI panel
- performance optimizations (debounce, request control)
I wrote the design. Claude Code wrote the code. I reviewed, tested, and iterated.
The biggest shift wasn’t technical — it was conceptual.
I moved from:
“writing every line of a small map app”
to:
“designing how spatial data is requested, filtered, and rendered efficiently — and directing an AI to implement it.”
What I learned in this stage:
- Design comes before prompting. Vague intent produces generic code.
- Reading code is a skill of its own. I learn Web GIS by reviewing what Claude Code writes.
- Verification is my job. Type-checking and tests don’t verify a feature — only I can.
- The bottleneck moved. It used to be syntax. Now it’s clarity of design.
- Fundamentals still matter. I can only direct Claude Code well when I understand what good output looks like.
Projects:
🔹 👉 Leaflet Demo
Next step:
Scaling this with clustering, vector tiles, and more advanced filtering — and continuing to sharpen how I collaborate with Claude Code across the full stack and Web GIS.
If you’re learning GIS, web development, or how to work with AI coding tools — start simple, design first, and read everything the AI writes.
It compounds faster than you think.