[Qgis-user] ideas/best practices fro an offline/online vector editing on a server

[maning sambale]

Hi,

I'm collecting some ideas on the ideal setup for a collaborative
editing interface in QGIS.  Our current setup is that we have several
field offices that collect and update vector data.  I installed a
geoserver instance with postgis and we can now serve data from a
central server to the field offices (whenever online).  What we are
looking for is way to be able to:
1. Download subset of the data and bring it on field.
2. Allow field workers to update the offline data.
3. Back to the office, synch the data into the main server.

There are several approach to server-based editing all within QGIS.
The list are:
1. Offline editing via spatialite. - This allows conversion of the
postgis data into an offline spatialite db which can be used in the
field.  But no functionality to merge the edits back into the main
postgis db.
2. Direct WFS-T connect and edits - straightforward "Toggle editing".
But requires server connection during edits and no change/commit
monitoring.
3. PG-version plugin that allows editing, commenting edits and to
rollback. - the best approach so far but same with WFS-T, need
continuous connection to the server.

Is there a way for a hybrid approach wherein we:
1. Download a subset of the data as a spatialite db.
2. Do offline edits.
3. Merge the changes to the postgis db (either via wfs or direct
postgis connect) with some verisoing functionality.

What we are looking for is a QGIS-way of doing this since QGIS has
very good editing tools already compared to an Openlayers/GeoExt
route.  Another approach is welcome.

-- 
cheers,
maning
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