Keywords
workflow, gis modelling, spatial analysis, open source gis, dotspatial, mapwindow
Start Date
1-7-2012 12:00 AM
Abstract
This study presents an object-oriented and interface-based geospatial and hydrologic data processing and modeling toolbox and strategy for extension by third parties to include complete suites of new tools through the implementation of simple interfaces. The resulting software implementation includes both a toolbox and workflow designer or “model builder” constructed using the underlying open source DotSpatial library and MapWindow desktop GIS. The key contribution of this research and software development activity is in the creation and use of an extensibility architecture for both individual custom tools and batches of existing tools. This concept is introduced to allow for seamless integration of geoprocessing and hydrologic data analysis tools from various sources – including online sources – within a single user interface. In this way developers can “wrap” large existing collections of analytical code without having to re-write it for interoperability. Additionally, developers do not need to design the user interfaces for loading, displaying or interacting with their specific tools, but rather can simply implement the provided interfaces and have their tools and tool collections appear in the toolbox alongside other tools.
A Strategy for Integrating Open Source GIS Toolboxes for Geoprocessing and Data Analysis
This study presents an object-oriented and interface-based geospatial and hydrologic data processing and modeling toolbox and strategy for extension by third parties to include complete suites of new tools through the implementation of simple interfaces. The resulting software implementation includes both a toolbox and workflow designer or “model builder” constructed using the underlying open source DotSpatial library and MapWindow desktop GIS. The key contribution of this research and software development activity is in the creation and use of an extensibility architecture for both individual custom tools and batches of existing tools. This concept is introduced to allow for seamless integration of geoprocessing and hydrologic data analysis tools from various sources – including online sources – within a single user interface. In this way developers can “wrap” large existing collections of analytical code without having to re-write it for interoperability. Additionally, developers do not need to design the user interfaces for loading, displaying or interacting with their specific tools, but rather can simply implement the provided interfaces and have their tools and tool collections appear in the toolbox alongside other tools.
