[Qgis-developer] [GRASS-dev] GRASS & QGIS: the future

[Alex Mandel]

On 03/27/2014 08:05 AM, Saber Razmjooei wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Here is my wish list:
> 
> - To be able to access GRASS data within QGIS. Similar to PostGIS and other
> GDAL/OGR data sources, it should be up to users to create GRASS
> geodatabase/location/mapsets. QGIS will be able to simply add layers for
> viewing and editing 
>

I have actually always created my locations/mapsets in QGIS. Just made
more sense for some reason.

 	
> - Having access to GRASS shell. It will be a very handy shortcut to run
> GRASS modules without the need to open GRASS. GRASS modules which are
> available in Processing toolbox can use the same UI. Otherwise, user has to
> run it in shell.
> 
Then once in GRASS usually went directly to using GRASS commands in a
Terminal. But I can see for non-Linux the shell inside the plugin would
be much more obvious. Perhaps a GRASS Launcher in QGIS would take it's
place.

> - Simple import data to the mapsets...similar approach as drag-n-drop for
> PostGIS databases. Right-click and save as... in QGIS does a great work for
> Export.
> 

And as others have mentioned, 99.9% of the time my cartography work with
GRASS layers is done in QGIS, including intermediary viewing of results
before additional steps.


Some of the other discussion about how to chain GRASS functions in
Processing without having to dump to file outside GRASS actually gets at
the biggest downside to Processing. If one has big data in GRASS or
Postgis, it needs to stay inside those tools - shapefile is not an
option. If we can some up with some way to encourage the various makers
of tools that end up in Processing to implement all GDAL/OGR drivers,
then we can pipe between things without having to drop to intermediary
formats outside of ram.

Thanks,
Alex