[GRASS5] Re: Multiuser grass projects

[H Bowman]

> I don't see any prospect of fixing this in 5.0.x; IIRC, the intention
> is to change the directory layout for 5.1, from MAPSET/COMPONENT/MAP
> to MAPSET/MAP/COMPONENT (or is it MAPSET/TYPE/MAP/COMPONENT, where
> TYPE is cell/vector etc?). That would make it much easier to lock
> entire maps; e.g. ensure that every map contains a component such that
> locking that component locks the entire map.

MAPSET/TYPE/MAP/COMPONENT would be nice for easy backup and transfer of
individual maps, instead of complicated ad hoc tar command lines for
picking filenames and directories matching the map name, etc.

TYPE would be necessary to allow you to have both vectors and raster
maps with the same name, even if that might be poor practice. Besides
raster and vector, TYPE would also have to include things like regions
(currently the not very descriptive $MAPSET/windows).

The map name becomes the master directory and the current directory
names become the files within that directory. A more radical approach
might be to automatically tar*gzip that directory and name the resulting
file map.grs or something. I guess you'd have to include PROJ_INFO in
each map dir, and the use a system of [sym]links or something to keep
them in sync might be a nightmare. Maybe only do this with a g.out.grass
export command? Or just aim to use e00 or something that is already
standard, documented, & open? We can copy DXF and shape files around
easily today, but not grass maps separate from their mapset and that's a
pain.


Even if this is a long way off and gone over before, I think it is good
to establish & reiterate what people would like to have eventually.


best,
Hamish