[QGIS Commit] r8610 - docs/trunk/english_us/user_guide

[svn_qgis at osgeo.org]

Author: taraathan
Date: 2008-06-07 00:00:09 -0400 (Sat, 07 Jun 2008)
New Revision: 8610

Added:
   docs/trunk/english_us/user_guide/forward2.tex
Log:
Copied remotely

Copied: docs/trunk/english_us/user_guide/forward2.tex (from rev 8609, docs/trunk/english_us/user_guide/forward.tex)
===================================================================
--- docs/trunk/english_us/user_guide/forward2.tex	                        (rev 0)
+++ docs/trunk/english_us/user_guide/forward2.tex	2008-06-07 04:00:09 UTC (rev 8610)
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+% vim: set textwidth=78 autoindent:
+
+\section{Forward}\label{label_forward}
+\pagenumbering{arabic}
+\setcounter{page}{1}
+
+Welcome to the wonderful world of Geographical Information Systems (GIS)!
+Quantum GIS (QGIS) is an Open Source Geographic Information System. The project
+was born in May of 2002 and was established as a project on SourceForge in June
+of the same year. We've worked hard to make GIS software (which is traditionaly
+expensive proprietary software) a viable prospect for anyone with basic access
+to a Personal Computer. QGIS currently runs on most Unix platforms, Windows, and
+OS X. QGIS is developed using the Qt toolkit (\url{http://www.trolltech.com})
+and C++. This means that QGIS feels snappy to use and has a pleasing, easy to
+use graphical user interface. 
+
+QGIS aims to be an easy to use GIS, providing common functions and features.
+The initial goal was to provide a GIS data viewer. QGIS has reached that point
+in its evolution and is being used by many for their daily GIS data viewing
+needs. QGIS supports a number of raster and vector data formats, with new
+support easily added using the plugin architecture (see Appendix
+\ref{appdx_data_formats} for a full list of currenly supported data formats).
+QGIS is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Developing QGIS 
+under this license means that you can inspect and modify the source code
+and guarantees that you, our happy user will always have access to a GIS
+program that is free of cost and can be freely modified. You should have
+received a full copy of the license with your copy of QGIS, and you also
+find it as Appendix \ref{gpl_appendix}.  
+
+\begin{quote}
+\begin{center}
+\textbf{Note:} The latest version of this document can always be found at \newline
+http://download.osgeo.org/qgis/doc/manual/
+\end{center}
+\end{quote}
+
+\subsection{Features}\label{label_majfeat}
+
+QGIS offers many common GIS functionalities provided by core features and
+plugins. As a short summary they are presented in six categories to gain a
+first insight.
+
+\minisec{View data}
+
+You can view and overlay vector and raster data in different formats and
+projections without conversion to an internal or common format. Supported
+formats include:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item spatially-enabled PostgreSQL tables using PostGIS, \textbf{most} vector
+formats\footnote{OGR-supported database formats are not yet supported in QGIS.}
+supported by the OGR library, including ESRI shapefiles, MapInfo,
+SDTS and GML.
+\item all raster formats supported by the GDAL library, such as digital
+elevation models, aerial photography or landsat imagery,
+\item GRASS mapsets, 
+\item Online spatial data served as OGC-compliant WMS or WFS.
+\end{itemize}
+
+\minisec{Explore data and compose maps} 
+
+You can compose maps and interactively explore spatial data with a friendly
+graphical user interface. The many helpful tools available in the GUI include:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item on the fly projection
+\item map composer
+\item overview panel
+\item spatial bookmarks
+\item identify/select features
+\item edit/view/search attributes
+\item feature labeling
+\item change vector and raster symbology
+\item add a graticule layer
+\item decorate your map with a north arrow scale bar and copyright label
+\item save and restore projects
+\end{itemize}
+
+\minisec{Create, edit and export data}
+
+You can create, edit and export vector maps in several formats. Raster data
+have to imported into GRASS to be able to edit and export them into other
+formats.  
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item digitizing tools for OGR formats and GRASS vector
+\item creating and editing shapefiles
+\item geocode images with the georeferencer plugin
+\item using the GPS tools to import and export GPX format, convert other GPS
+formats to GPX or down/upload directly to a GPS unit
+\item creating PostGIS layers from shapefiles with the SPIT plugin 
+\end{itemize}
+
+\minisec{Analyse data} 
+
+You can perform spatial data analysis on PostgreSQL/PostGIS and other OGR
+supported formats using the geoprocessing plugin. It currently offers buffer,
+intersection, union, dissolve, difference and convex hull. Or you use the 
+integrated GRASS tools, including the complete GRASS functionality, e.g:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item Image processing (image fusion, classification, filtering, enhancement)
+\item Raster analysis (map algebra, terrain analysis, hydrologic modeling
+\item Vector analysis (digitizing, union, intersection, buffer)
+\item Network analysis (shortest path, travelling salesman)
+\end{itemize}
+
+\minisec{Publish maps on the internet}
+
+QGIS can be used to export data to a mapfile and to visualize them in the
+internet using a webserver with UMN MapServer installed. QGIS can also
+be used as a WMS and WFS client and WMS server. 
+
+\minisec{Extend QGIS functionality through plugins} 
+
+Quantum GIS can be adapted to your special needs with the extensible
+plugin architecture, providing libraries that can be used to create plugins
+or even new applications with C++ or Python.     
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item \textbf{Core Plugins}
+\\ \\ Add WFS Layer
+\\ Add Delimited Text Layer
+\\ Decorations (Copyright Label, North Arrow and Scale bar)
+\\ Georeferencer
+\\ GPS Tools
+\\ GRASS integration
+\\ Graticule Creator
+\\ SPIT Shapefile to PostgreSQL/PostGIS Import Tool
+\\ Python Console
+\\ Python Plugin Installer
+\\ \item \textbf{Python Plugins} 
+\\ \\ QGIS offers a growing number of python plugins, provided by the
+community. These plugins can be browsed and installed from the official
+PyQGIS repository using the python plugin installer.
+\end{itemize}
+
+%% FIXME (maybe the whats new part should be added again?)
+
+
+
+
+
+