[mapserver-dev] WMS GetStyles by CLASS GROUP

[Rahkonen Jukka (MML)]

Hi,

WMS 1.3.0 standard kinda removed the support for SLD-styles

"A basic WMS classifies its geographic information holdings into “Layers” and offers a finite number of predefined “Styles” in which to display those layers. This International
Standard supports only named Layers and Styles, and does not include a mechanism for user-defined symbolization of feature data."

WMS 1.1.1 told a bit more about SLD support

"For the use of the Styled Layer Descriptor specification, three new optional
operations are named, but not otherwise specified, in this document
(GetLegendGraphic, GetStyles, PutStyles)."

But even WMS 1.3.0 does not really mention that SLD stuff is supported, the SLD standard http://portal.opengeospatial.org/files/?artifact_id=22364 is bringing the SLD profile into WMS 1.3.0.

"GetMap is defined in WMS 1.3. The SLD profile for WMS defines additional parameters
allowing clients to request layers to be portrayed according to some specified style. The
basic WMS specification defines HTTP GET (mandatory) and HTTP POST (optional)
for invoking operations."

You should read WMS and SLD standards as pairs with matching versions.
WMS+SLD combination is rather cryptic and somehow half-way ready, as well as the implementations in Mapserver, Geoserver, and others. I am not sure if it is even possible to make them 100% standard compliant. However, users can do useful things with GET_STYLES and &SLD/&SDL_BODY and I think that it is good to support them and  admins can adjust the "ows_sld_enabled" option.

For example I doubt I have ever seen a Mapserver that sends reasonable response to DescribeLayer and probably no client is trying to use it for resolving the schema of the layer.

-Jukka Rahkonen-


-----Alkuperäinen viesti-----
Lähettäjä: mapserver-dev <mapserver-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org> Puolesta Seth G
Lähetetty: maanantai 16. maaliskuuta 2020 16.51
Vastaanottaja: mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org
Aihe: [mapserver-dev] WMS GetStyles by CLASS GROUP

Hi devs,

Currently, we can get SLD for a layer using &SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.3.0&REQUEST=GetStyles&LAYERS=mylayer as added in RFC 39 [1]. 

This returns all the styles available for a layer (in a NamedLayer tag). 
Each style is in a UserStyle tag (corresponding to the CLASS GROUP names) as described in the RFC:

"the current behavior is to return all the classes as UserStyle elements. the sld 1.0 specification does not seem to be clear on how to deal when multiple styles are available : section 13.1 specifies “…All requested styles that can in fact be described by SLD will be returned as UserStyle elements, and styles that cannot be will returned as NamedStyle elements. …”. The proposed approach is to keep the current behaviour if the CLASSGROUP is not set and if set, to return UserStyle elements on specified classes only."

It would be very useful for client applications to be able to return just the SLD for a specific style. 

Would the addition of a STYLES parameter similar to  WMS GetMap request to select a specific style be welcomed?
I can't find any reference to the GetStyles request in the WMS 1.3.0 spec, so is this a custom addition to the WMS protocol? It is also implemented in GeoServer [2], but undocumented.  

E.g. &SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.3.0&REQUEST=GetStyles&LAYERS=mylayer&STYLES=style1

Seth

[1] https://mapserver.org/development/rfc/ms-rfc-39.html
[2] http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Does-GetStyles-work-in-Geoserver-2-12-td5335257.html

--
web:http://geographika.co.uk
twitter: @geographika
_______________________________________________
mapserver-dev mailing list
mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org
https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev