[GRASS5] interoperability/compatibility

[Richard Greenwood]

Saurabh Data wrote:

> 
> Dear users
> 
> Can someone comment on general compatibility/interoperability of OSS 
> with other OSS or with the proprietary systems.
> 
> Many THanks
> 
> Saurabh Data

That is a very broad question, and I am surely not the most qualified 
individual to answer. But with those disclaimers I will offer the following.

I work GRASS, Mapserver, MapInfo, AutoCAD, and ESRI GIS software. I find 
the compatibility/interoperability of OSS is significantly better than 
that of proprietary software.

An anecdotal example: Last week I needed to import and .E00 grid (an 
ESRI external format). My ESRI software (ArcView 3.2 & Spatial Analyst 
1.1) could not read it. My MapInfo Professional and Vertical Mapper 
combination could not read it. GRASS read it and exported it to a common 
format that both proprietary software packages could read.

Editorializing; the proprietary vendors in general, and ESRI in 
particular, are motivated to keep the user tied to their proprietary 
data format, and their own proprietary methodology, vocabulary, and user 
interface. The OSS community bases much of their development on 
published standards, and prioritizes compatibility in order to gain 
wider acceptance.

HTH
-- 
Richard Greenwood
www.greenwoodmap.com