[Qgis-developer] QGIS 1.8 Windows Standalone is not OK with spatialite versions (ECW tangent)

[Ramon Andiñach]

On 16/01/2013, at 15:23 , Ted wrote:

> just minor correction in your letter, Chris is "Product" manager for ECW

Noted. I'll fix that before sending it off.


> Just as I note, they have Read Only version of the SDK and also have few other editions;
> 
> ERDAS ECW/JP2 SDK is offered as four different editions:
> 
> 	• ERDAS ECW/JP2 SDK Server Read-Write provides tools to enable server applications to read ECW, ECWP, and JPEG2000 data, serve ECW and JPEG2000 data, and compress images into the ECW and JPEG2000 data formats.
> 	• ERDAS ECW/JP2 SDK Server Read-Only provides tools to enable end-user server applications to read ECW, ECWP and JPEG2000 data and serve ECW and JPEG2000 data via third-party server applications. For ESRI ArcGIS Server customers, please refer to ECW for ArcGIS Server.
> 	• ERDAS ECW/JP2 SDK Desktop Read-Write provides tools to enable desktop applications to read ECW, ECWP and JPEG2000 and compress images into ECW and JPEG2000 data formats.
> 	• ERDAS ECW/JP2 SDK Desktop Read-Only is a free product that provides tools to enable desktop applications to read ECW, ECWP and JPEG2000.
> 
> Since this is a major shift from the 3.3 SDK which allowed WRITE function upto 500MB, we could use without much of a problem. After hexagon, there has been lot of changes and also the licensing of SDK.
> 
> At the moment, for GDAL and well and general QGIS user, what we are looking at is, DESKTOP READ ONLY SDK where by users could use ECW files in QGIS. 
> 
> So, we need to be very specif about this.
> 
> They will never allow GDAL or anyone else to use the library for ECW Serving function, without $$$$$. So, dont even bother to ask.
See notes below.

> So, with GDAL, we should make a point to mark ECW as Read only format.
No. Currently that is only the situation for *windows* users, as everyone else is still using the 3.3 SDK, which as you note allows writing.
----

1. I thought it was reasonably clear that I was talking about the Desktop Read-Only SDK. If it's not, please say so.
I haven't made reference to any other of the licences in the explanation or the questions.

2. If I understand from Paolo and previously Jürgen, the really big sticking point is that it is possible to install a QGIS server on a GDAL with the desktop SDK plugged in. Depending on who's responsible for the correct use of the SDK defines the ease of which the ECW-plugin can be put back into service. So the clarifying questions 3 and 4 are in that sense the important ones.

If the responsible party is people like me (the user end) then a big fat warning as you suggest will probably do. Have to see what they say.
If the responsible party is the developer end, then the problem is *much* more difficult, as there would need to be ways built in to make sure that the desktop only part was *not* contravened. (As a User I can see this is complicated. Money may help, but it's also an ethical thing too.)

3. In light of the above I felt that the explanation leading into the questions was important to give a sense of where the questions were coming from.

Questions 1 and 2, we probably know the answers to, but it would be good to see if we can get straight answers on them.
Questions 3 and 4 are the important ones.
Questions 5 and 6 are requests for information.[1]

5. I've not even asked about the requirement to support both ECW and ECWP... This is pretty much a secondary hurdle to me.

6. I'm was about to head for bed so apologies if this is not as sensible as I'd like. I thought having my thoughts (such as they are) out while most others are awake would be worth it.

-ramon.
[1] Current version (with revisions based on Alister's earlier comments) is now here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b5wclxeheeh4act/QuestionsForIntergraph2012i16