[OpenLayers-Users] Wanted: WFS and WCS clients

[Rick Wayne]

Hey all,

We're developing a desktop app which will incorporate some geodata. A  
full dataset for our area (the state of Wisconsin) is way too big to  
download or even install with the desktop app, so we're planning to  
provide a download service where users can define an area of interest  
(AOI) and automatically download the geodata.

We have the imagery available via WCS, the vector data via WFS, and a  
composite view via WMS for AOI-picking. A key point here is that our  
users run the gamut from very sophisticated GIS experts down to people  
who have trouble copying a file using Windows Explorer. So the  
traditional download-shapefiles-and-images path won't do at all, we'd  
spend endless hours explaining that shape "files" are really sets of  
files, etc. etc. Instead, we need a seamless process where the user  
selects an AOI and presses one button -- hey presto, the geodata are  
available in the desktop app!

Building the AOI picker is easy, of course, any of you could do it in  
your sleep. But that "hey presto" part...hmm. Anybody know of a  
library or component that will read a WFS feed (i.e., GML) and insert  
the geometry into a geodatabase? (We're planning on SpatialLite at  
this point.) Likewise, is there easily-accessible code that will  
construct, say, a GeoTIFF from a WCS call? I know of applications that  
do these things (e.g. uDig or QGIS for WFS, and svSIG for WCS), but of  
course would rather use a library than trying to port code.

Your pardon if this is somewhat off-topic; my excuse is (a) the AOI- 
picker will use OpenLayers, and (b) this is a rather knowledgeable set  
of developers! If you prefer to contact me off-list, feel free, and  
I'll summarize and post anything useful that we find.

TIA,

rw
UW Soil Science
Madison, WI