[Incubator] SLD Editor

Mon Jun 20 19:50:52 PDT 2016

Robert already asked about GeoTools, we are setup as a library (rather than
as a desktop app like SLD editor).

I like the idea of OSGeo community (formally labs) fostering smaller
projects like this as they start up.

--
Jody Garnett

On 19 June 2016 at 20:37, Bruce Bannerman <bruce.bannerman.osgeo at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Robert,
>
> This looks very promising. Well done!
>
> I can see the need for this type of functionality within a range of open
> spatial apps, from Desktop GIS through to a range of server apps including
> MapServer and GeoServer.
>
> Therefore your code may better sit within one of the existing libraries,
> rather than going through the effort of establishing and maintaining a
> project just for this product.
>
> I suspect that this may be what you had in mind when you were looking at
> GeoTools.
>
>
> @Jody,
>
> Where does the GeoTools community sit in relation to cross language
> support so that GeoTools can be used by non-Java applications like QGIS and
> MapServer? Have Java bridging approaches proven very effective?
>
> Bruce
>
>
>
> *From:* Incubator <incubator-bounces at lists.osgeo.org> on behalf of Robert
>> Ward <Robert.Ward at scisys.co.uk>
>> *Sent:* Friday, 17 June 2016 5:01:51 PM
>> *To:* incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>> *Subject:* [Incubator] FW: SLD Editor
>>
>>
>> A bit more background information about the SLD Editor.
>>
>>
>>
>> I’ve been developing the application for about 18 months as a side
>> project.  The idea started when we did some consultancy work and put
>> together a proposal for an organisation to migrate from an Esri system to
>> an OpenLayers/GeoServer stack. When it came to migrating ~1250 layers we
>> didn’t know what number to put down for symbol conversion to SLD.  When you
>> looked at the numbers this was a large percentage of the overall cost and
>> something needed to be done to reduce it if we were going to be competitive
>> in doing migrations to open source GIS systems.
>>
>>
>>
>> One of our long standing large enterprise GIS systems required a change
>> to an SLD symbol which we used QGIS to edit. It turned out there was a
>> known bug that caused the change to be forgotten.  I looked to fix it, I’m
>> very familiar with C++ and Qt but found it difficult to debug and realised
>> the SLD styling data model was not completely implemented.
>>
>>
>>
>> I looked at GeoTools because I knew it could parse SLD files and render
>> them. Another big advantage is that it supports all the GeoServer vendor
>> options, in particular the labelling.  I got something simple working quite
>> quickly and it went from there.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ideally all this functionality should be in QGIS but QGIS would have to
>> be rewritten to use a C++ version of GeoTools to be able to render the
>> GeoServer vendor options, which will not happen overnight.  We know of
>> people that would love this capability and I understand some peoples
>> reluctance for yet another application.  I think as long as GeoServer is so
>> heavily used a Java desktop SLD Editor application is acceptable.
>>
>>
>>
>> I’ve had discussions about developing a web-front end for the
>> application, a possibility. However not all GIS systems we deliver are web
>> based and certain projects I work on and locations I work at, do not allow
>> web access or a web server to be deployed without going through a lot of
>> hoops.  If I have a standalone desktop application I can do all my work
>> without having to rely on any other infrastructure.  One of the aims of the
>> application was to be able to work in a connected/disconnected environment,
>> I don’t think all users/developers understand this scenario.
>>
>>
>>
>> The architecture has evolved. I’ve rewritten parts of it several times,
>> sometimes because it didn’t deliver the right functionality or sometimes
>> because I thought it could be done better (either I had a better idea or
>> trying to improve maintenance), sometimes because I was experimenting.
>> Some parts of the code definitely need to be cleaned up although some
>> frameworks/interfaces I’ve put in-place I think are quite good.
>>
>>
>>
>> There will be some work needed to understand why some symbols don’t
>> display. I’m thinking windbarbs where I believe I’m passing the correct
>> data but the symbol is not rendered.
>>
>>
>>
>> I’m also quite keen to progress the GeoPackage standard supporting SLD
>> files.  I’m not certain whether the standard supports this yet but GeoTools
>> doesn’t let me store an SLD file with a vector dataset that I can pass
>> round in one file.  The SLD Editor has partially implemented this
>> functionality but it would be better if it was a standard and would
>> probably help increase the adoption of the GeoPackage standard.
>>
>> __________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>> * Robert Ward*
>>
>> Technical Architect – Enterprise Solutions & Defence
>>
>> *SCISYS UK Limited*
>>
>> T: +44 (0)1249 466575
>>
>> E: robert.ward at scisys.co.uk | www.scisys.co.uk
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Jody Garnett [mailto:jody.garnett at gmail.com
>> <jody.garnett at gmail.com>]
>> *Sent:* 16 June 2016 01:01
>> *To:* Robert Ward
>> *Cc:* incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>> *Subject:* Re: [Incubator] SLD Editor
>>
>>
>>
>> Welcome Robert:
>>
>>
>>
>> That is an impressive project, I was able to checkout, report an issue,
>> and now build :)
>>
>>
>>
>> There are three ways for projects to get involved in OSGeo:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1. Including your project in OSGeo Live
>> <https://live.osgeo.org/en/index.html> is a great way to reach a wider
>> audience
>>
>> 2. We have set up Community Projects
>> <https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Community_Projects> as an outreach
>> effort for OSGeo providing an easy way for projects to join the foundation.
>>
>> 3. OSGeo Incubation
>> <http://www.osgeo.org/incubator/process/project_graduation_checklist.html>
>> which offers a much closer check into a project's health and wellbeing
>>
>>
>>
>> aside: Your SLD Editor project is much larger project then your github
>> history indicates, can you tell me anything about the background of the
>> project?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Jody Garnett
>>
>>
>>
>> On 15 June 2016 at 05:30, Robert Ward <Robert.Ward at scisys.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> After presenting at FOSS4G UK, we have released as open source a Java SLD
>> Editor based on GeoTools and think it needs help from the wider open source
>> GIS community.
>>
>> The source code, user guide and developer’s guide is available here:
>>
>> https://github.com/robward-scisys/sldeditor
>>
>> The application is based on the GeoTools library which underpins
>> GeoServer and so has the advantage that all GeoServer vendor options can be
>> dynamically rendered.
>>
>>
>>
>> Whilst not wanting to duplicate work, this feature is not available in
>> QGIS, which is written in C++ and has a different rendering engine that
>> does not support GeoServer vendor options.
>>
>>
>>
>> The application is not complete and some areas need to be refactored
>> however I think the application in its current state more than demonstrates
>> what is possible.
>>
>>
>>
>> There will certainly need to be collaboration with the GeoTools project
>> but in the future with the GeoPackage and SLD standards groups.
>>
>> __________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>> * Robert Ward*
>>
>> Technical Architect – Enterprise Solutions & Defence
>>
>> *SCISYS UK Limited*
>>
>> T: +44 (0)1249 466575
>>
>> E: robert.ward at scisys.co.uk | www.scisys.co.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> SCISYS UK Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 4373530.
>>
>> Registered Office: Methuen Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0GB, UK.
>>
>>
>>
>> Before printing, please think about the environment.
>>
>>
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>> Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>>
>>
>>
>> <http://gfidisc.scisys.co.uk>
>>
>>
>> SCISYS UK Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 4373530.
>> Registered Office: Methuen Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0GB, UK.
>>
>> Before printing, please think about the environment.
>>
>> <http://gfidisc.scisys.co.uk>
>>
>
>
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