[GRASS-user] OT: metadata authoring tools

[Hamish]

> Eric Patton wrote:
> > Metadata authoring is pretty much the only reason I need to use
> > ArcGIS right now. If a free, open source alternative became available
> > that was usable in a GRASS scripting environment, that would be
> > great! 

Moritz Lennert wrote:
> Two examples of FOSS metadata tools:
> 
> http://www.mdweb-project.org/:
> 
> "MDweb is a generic, multi-language, multi-standard, multi-platform
> tool for cataloging and locating environmental information, and, by 
> extension, geographical data. [...] The specifications adopted for the 
> cataloging of geographical information are based on the ISO 19115 
> standard and conform to Open Geospatial Consortium specifications and 
> European directives (INSPIRE directives)."
> 
> http://geonetwork-opensource.org/:
> 
> "GeoNetwork opensource implements both the Portal component and the 
> Catalog database of a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) defined in the 
> OGC Reference Architecture. It provides tools for managing and 
> publishing metadata on spatial data and related services."


I could have sworn that there was a OSGeo working group for Metadata issues (In the same spirit as the Public Geospatial Data Committee) but for the life of me I can't find any references to it now. Maybe I was dreaming.
  http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Main_Page#Committees

I'm surprised there isn't. It's a big issue worldwide.

Or perhaps OSGeo wishes to not compete/duplicate the work of the OGC?
  http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/cat


All I could find was an empty "Metadata" wiki page (which I took the liberty of adding your helpful suggestions to :).
  http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Metadata


I would hope that a new metadata system for GRASS 7 would be outsourced to a dedicated project so that the other FOSS GIS teams could collaborate and seamlessly interoperate.  e.g. MapServer, QGIS, ...; but not necessarily limited to OSGeo projects: jGRASS, OSSIM, ... it would be good for everyone.


http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Metadata  seems like a very good place to start.


Hamish