[Gdal-dev] format plugins

[Frank Warmerdam]

William Kyngesburye wrote:
> How simple is it to build formats as GDAL plugins instead of embedded in 
> the main library? (like the GRASS plugin)
> 
> I would like to build some of the existing problematic formats as 
> plugins, so they are more easily added to a binary distribution.  This 
> would inlcude formats with restrictive licenses like MrSID, and others 
> with problematic support on different versions of an OS (ie MrSID, DODS, 
> ECW, other C++-based on Mac OS X Panther vs Tiger).
> 
> I don't need all the gorey details of the driver API and implementing 
> it, since the formats exist, I just need the configure/make part.

William,

There is no configure or makefile support for building any GDAL drivers
as plugins except for the GRASS driver.  But basically, you just compile
the local driver code and link it against libgdal.so (or libgdal.dylib)
and produce a shared library with a particular name.  For instance, for
the ECW driver the file would be called gdal_ECW.so (or gdal_ECW.dylib)
and it would need to be installed in $prefix/lib/gdalplugins.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGF, http://osgeo.org