[gdal-dev] Integration of GDAL and OGR?

[Sjur Kolberg]

Dear list,

Has there been any discussion about a tighter integration of the GDAL and OGR class hierarchies?

Why I ask: Over the last years, we have been developing a framework for implementing spatio-temporal simulation models. This has been motivated by distributed hydrological modelling, but is also appliccable to other fields. All the variables in these models are GIS data sets that change through time, but there might be both raster and vector data sets, even mixed with scalars.

We started this before knowing of GDAL, and have a data structure where the different GIS data classes (at present raster, point-vector and scalar) inherits a common superclass containing metadata not specific to any one GIS data type. This is advantageous for the model framework, which can list and handle all the model variables as one common type.

Now Statkraft (the hydropower company that financed the development) has decided to go Open Source with this project. We have not started the process, but I am guessing that getting rid of MFC and other Windows/Microsoft specifics will increase the number of potential users.

Finally coming to the point: My existing CGisData superclass is an MFC derivative, and thus needs a new parent class. It is tempting to look for a possible solution in the well established GDAL/OGR libraries, which might also provide a shortcut to adding line and polygon covers to the list of acceptable data types. But the ability to implement a model or subroutine for "any" data type is something I would like to preserve.

So: Does anybody else see any advantage of making GDALMajorObject a subclass of OGRGeometry; or giving the two a common superclass?

Best regards,

Sjur K :-)

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