[mapserver-users] freefs 0.9a released - os wfs implementation

[Rob Hranac]

VFNY has released an alpha version of an open source WFS implementation in
Java, using PostGIS as the datastore.  Installation of the alpha is
recommended for the, um, adventurous only.  We will have a beta by December
and a 1.0 out by January that will both be more robust and much more
user-friendly.  However, we wanted to gauge developer interest in this
project now rather than later.  If you are interested in contributing,
please let me know.  Full details are given below - feel free to contact me
with questions.

Regards,
Rob Hranac
Director / Senior Developer
Vision for New York (VFNY)
377 Broadway
11th Floor
New York, NY  10013

tel: (212) 219-6052
email: robhranac at vfny.org
www.vfny.org

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RELEASE NOTES:
	Free Feature Server (FreeFS) 0.9 alpha release -
www.sourceforge.net/projects/freefs
	from Vision for New York (VFNY) - www.vfny.org
	contact info: robhranac at vfny.org

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OVERVIEW:
This is the first release of FreeFS, a product that VFNY has developed as an
implementation of the OpenGIS Consortium's (OGC, www.opengis.org) Web
Feature Server v0.0.13 (WFS) specification.  VFNY develops FreeFS in order
to spur the adoption of interoperable geographic data standards by data
providers.  FreeFS is intended to serve as a free, fast, easy to use, and
comprehensive geographic vector data translator for geographic 'web service'
applications.  FreeFS aspires to be the primary translator between the
current cacophony of geographic storage formats and Geography Markup
Language (GML) for vector-based geographic data.

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LICENSE:
FreeFS is currently released under the GPL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.htm).
However, VFNY is cooking up its own license, which is somewhat less
restrictive than the GPL.  When we have completed it (early 2002), we will
change the licensing terms.  We will, of course, fully honor the terms of
the GPL when we do so.  If you are interested is using the code and have
objections to the GPL, please contact us.

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FUNCTIONALITY:
This release is targeted more at the development community than the user
community and functionality is quite limited; minimal testing has occurred
exclusively on a single development server.  However, FreeFS does follow the
WFS v0.0.13 spec enough to lay claim to be the first bonafide, open-source
implementation of the spec.  Currently, FreeFS implements the WFS
GetCapabilities, DescribeFeatureType, and GetFeature interfaces, but not the
OGC Filter spec or any transaction interfaces.  FreeFS serves data
exclusively from PostgreSQL, using the PostGIS extension from the clever
people at Refractions Research Inc. (www.refractions.net).  Error handling
in this version is essentially non-existent and documentation is limited to
these release notes and the javadocs.  The only feature implemented in
FreeFS not mandated in the WFS spec are the metadata JSP pages, which mostly
serve to help users understand what FreeFS is doing and give spiders a
chance to index it.  One note: almost no efforts have been made to implement
security in FreeFS.  If you have sensitive data that you do not want to
grant public access to, do not use this alpha version of FreeFS to serve it.
VFNY will likely add security features in future releases.

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FUTURE:
VFNY will release a 0.9 beta version of FreeFS in December 2001, which will
include the following improvements:
		 Filter Capabilities
		 Web-based Administration

VFNY will release a 1.0 version in January 2002, which will include the
following improvements:
		 Error Handling
		 User Documentation
		 Minor Transaction Handling
		 Connection Pooling

Future releases, coming in early 2002, will focus on:
		 Increased geographic storage format support
		 Increased output type support
		 Security and access control
		 Full transactional support
		 Cascading WFS support
		 Advanced schema support

Of course, VFNY will enthusiastically accept patches, functional extensions,
critiques, comments, and love from other developers and interested parties,
regarding FreeFS.  We intend to play nicely with the open-source GIS
development community and have no commercial interests in the development of
FreeFS and other OpenGIS technology.  When enough developer interest
materializes, VFNY will begin to release nightly builds and set up a CVS
repository.  Please send comments/suggestions/flames to: robhranac at vfny.org.

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