[OSGeo-Discuss] [Incubator] SLD Editor

Sat Jun 18 01:51:06 PDT 2016

Hi all

with the kind of premise exposed by Robert Ward, it will be not hard
to create at least a developer community around this project... really
well exposed and explained.

congratulations
Luigi Pirelli

**************************************************************************************************
* Boundless QGIS Support/Development: lpirelli AT boundlessgeo DOT com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luigipirelli
* Stackexchange: http://gis.stackexchange.com/users/19667/luigi-pirelli
* GitHub: https://github.com/luipir
* Mastering QGIS:
https://www.packtpub.com/application-development/mastering-qgis
**************************************************************************************************

On 17 June 2016 at 23:48, Cameron Shorter <cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Robert,
>
> I'm copying this announcement about the SLD Editor to the OSGeo Discuss
> list, which will likely have more readers.
>
> My comments relate to maturing of your SLD Editor software as a project.
>
> From your description, it sounds like you have created a valuable piece of
> software, which successfully addresses ESRI Styles -> SLD conversion,
> something which has been patchy in Open Source to date. (It would be
> interesting to know how your SLD Editor compares to the proprietary GeoCat
> Bridge, which provides similar functionality).
>
> I'm guessing the next logical step would be to mature your project. This
> would involve attracting a community behind the project - users and
> developers. It involves some marketing, setting up of processes, supporting
> people, tracking bugs, etc.
>
> It would be worth while looking at the OSGeo Incubation Graduation Checklist
> [1], and start working toward addressing the items on the checklist.
>
> I'd also consider incorporating the SLD Editor as a module within an
> existing OSGeo-Project. This will help with attracting a user base, and
> gaining credibility. I suspect embedding the SLD Editor in GeoServer might
> make sense?
>
> With regards to including the SLD Editor into OSGeo-Live, I think it would
> be a great edition, but possibly wouldn't meet maturity guidelines for
> OSGeo-Live yet [2]. We might be able to include it as a "hidden" project
> initially.
>
> Warm regards, Cameron
>
> [1] http://www.osgeo.org/incubator/process/project_graduation_checklist.html
> [2] https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc_Apply
> On 17/06/2016 5:01 pm, Robert Ward wrote:
>
> A bit more background information about the SLD Editor.
>
>
>
> I’ve been developing the application for about 18 months as a side project.
> The idea started when we did some consultancy work and put together a
> proposal for an organisation to migrate from an Esri system to an
> OpenLayers/GeoServer stack. When it came to migrating ~1250 layers we didn’t
> know what number to put down for symbol conversion to SLD.  When you looked
> at the numbers this was a large percentage of the overall cost and something
> needed to be done to reduce it if we were going to be competitive in doing
> migrations to open source GIS systems.
>
>
>
> One of our long standing large enterprise GIS systems required a change to
> an SLD symbol which we used QGIS to edit. It turned out there was a known
> bug that caused the change to be forgotten.  I looked to fix it, I’m very
> familiar with C++ and Qt but found it difficult to debug and realised the
> SLD styling data model was not completely implemented.
>
>
>
> I looked at GeoTools because I knew it could parse SLD files and render
> them. Another big advantage is that it supports all the GeoServer vendor
> options, in particular the labelling.  I got something simple working quite
> quickly and it went from there.
>
>
>
> Ideally all this functionality should be in QGIS but QGIS would have to be
> rewritten to use a C++ version of GeoTools to be able to render the
> GeoServer vendor options, which will not happen overnight.  We know of
> people that would love this capability and I understand some peoples
> reluctance for yet another application.  I think as long as GeoServer is so
> heavily used a Java desktop SLD Editor application is acceptable.
>
>
>
> I’ve had discussions about developing a web-front end for the application, a
> possibility. However not all GIS systems we deliver are web based and
> certain projects I work on and locations I work at, do not allow web access
> or a web server to be deployed without going through a lot of hoops.  If I
> have a standalone desktop application I can do all my work without having to
> rely on any other infrastructure.  One of the aims of the application was to
> be able to work in a connected/disconnected environment, I don’t think all
> users/developers understand this scenario.
>
>
>
> The architecture has evolved. I’ve rewritten parts of it several times,
> sometimes because it didn’t deliver the right functionality or sometimes
> because I thought it could be done better (either I had a better idea or
> trying to improve maintenance), sometimes because I was experimenting.  Some
> parts of the code definitely need to be cleaned up although some
> frameworks/interfaces I’ve put in-place I think are quite good.
>
>
>
> There will be some work needed to understand why some symbols don’t display.
> I’m thinking windbarbs where I believe I’m passing the correct data but the
> symbol is not rendered.
>
>
>
> I’m also quite keen to progress the GeoPackage standard supporting SLD
> files.  I’m not certain whether the standard supports this yet but GeoTools
> doesn’t let me store an SLD file with a vector dataset that I can pass round
> in one file.  The SLD Editor has partially implemented this functionality
> but it would be better if it was a standard and would probably help increase
> the adoption of the GeoPackage standard.
>
> __________________________________________________________________
>
>
> Robert Ward
>
> Technical Architect – Enterprise Solutions & Defence
>
> SCISYS UK Limited
>
> T: +44 (0)1249 466575
>
> E: robert.ward at scisys.co.uk | www.scisys.co.uk
>
>
>
> From: Jody Garnett [mailto:jody.garnett at gmail.com]
> Sent: 16 June 2016 01:01
> To: Robert Ward
> Cc: incubator at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [Incubator] SLD Editor
>
>
>
> Welcome Robert:
>
>
>
> That is an impressive project, I was able to checkout, report an issue, and
> now build :)
>
>
>
> There are three ways for projects to get involved in OSGeo:
>
>
>
> 1. Including your project in OSGeo Live is a great way to reach a wider
> audience
>
> 2. We have set up Community Projects as an outreach effort for OSGeo
> providing an easy way for projects to join the foundation.
>
> 3. OSGeo Incubation which offers a much closer check into a project's health
> and wellbeing
>
>
>
> aside: Your SLD Editor project is much larger project then your github
> history indicates, can you tell me anything about the background of the
> project?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Jody Garnett
>
>
>
> On 15 June 2016 at 05:30, Robert Ward <Robert.Ward at scisys.co.uk> wrote:
>
> After presenting at FOSS4G UK, we have released as open source a Java SLD
> Editor based on GeoTools and think it needs help from the wider open source
> GIS community.
>
> The source code, user guide and developer’s guide is available here:
>
> https://github.com/robward-scisys/sldeditor
>
> The application is based on the GeoTools library which underpins GeoServer
> and so has the advantage that all GeoServer vendor options can be
> dynamically rendered.
>
>
>
> Whilst not wanting to duplicate work, this feature is not available in QGIS,
> which is written in C++ and has a different rendering engine that does not
> support GeoServer vendor options.
>
>
>
> The application is not complete and some areas need to be refactored however
> I think the application in its current state more than demonstrates what is
> possible.
>
>
>
> There will certainly need to be collaboration with the GeoTools project but
> in the future with the GeoPackage and SLD standards groups.
>
> __________________________________________________________________
>
>
> Robert Ward
>
> Technical Architect – Enterprise Solutions & Defence
>
> SCISYS UK Limited
>
> T: +44 (0)1249 466575
>
> E: robert.ward at scisys.co.uk | www.scisys.co.uk
>
>
>
>
>
> SCISYS UK Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 4373530.
>
> Registered Office: Methuen Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0GB, UK.
>
>
>
> Before printing, please think about the environment.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Incubator mailing list
> Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>
>
>
>
>
> SCISYS UK Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 4373530.
> Registered Office: Methuen Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0GB, UK.
>
> Before printing, please think about the environment.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Incubator mailing list
> Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>
>
> --
> Cameron Shorter,
> Software and Data Solutions Manager
> LISAsoft
> Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
> 26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
>
> P +61 2 9009 5000,  W www.lisasoft.com,  F +61 2 9009 5099
>
>
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