This page represents the current plan; for discussion please check the tracker link above.

Description

GeoTool's lack of support for parsing XML into complex features limits its utility as a GIS toolkit.

I propose to add this functionality by augmenting the codebase such that there are complex-compatible analogues or alternatives to all the classes necessary for WFS-based communications. Existing type hierarchies will be modifed and added to to provide this new functionality. In making these changes I will strive for maximum reuse of existing code and will follow the coding patterns and API conventions currently employed; as such, the code for performing a complex feature request will be much like the code for a simple feature request. Breaking changes will be eschewed.

Central to this work is a new XmlComplexFeatureParser which will use an AttributeBuilder and a ComplexFeatureBuilder to create objects that represent the content of WFS XML responses.

The addition of the following classes has had varying levels of impact on their encompassing type hierarchies:

• WFSContentDataAccess
• WFSDataAccessFactory
• XmlComplexFeatureParser
• ComplexFeatureBuilder

The proposed type hierachies can be seen alongside their previous forms here: See how the type hierarchies have changed.

Status

This proposal is under construction.

Voting has not started yet:

• Andrea Aime
• Ben Caradoc-Davies
• Christian Mueller
• Ian Turton
• Justin Deoliveira
• Jody Garnett
• Simone Giannecchini

Tasks

This section is used to make sure your proposal is complete (did you remember documentation?) and has enough paid or volunteer time lined up to be a success

1. WFSDataAccessFactory integrated into 'Factory' hierarchy.
2. WFSContentDataAccess integrated into 'DataAccess' hierarcy.
3. A new 'GetParser<...>' hierarchy created to supplant existing 'GetFeatureParser' hierarchy. XmlComplexFeatureParser integrated into this.
4. A new 'FeatureBuilder<...>' hierarchy created to generalise functionality from 'SimpleFeatureBuilder' so that it can be used by a new ComplexFeatureBuilder class.
5. Create an AttributeBuilder. (In progress)
6. Create a ComplexFeatureBuilder. (Started, blocked by #5)
7. Complete the XmlComplexFeatureParser. (Started, blocked by #6)
8. Update documentation. (Blocked by #7)

API Changes

Filter

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Documentation Changes

list the pages effected by this proposal

• gt-opengis filter api update to reflect api change
• gt-main filter examples updated to reflect api change
• upgrade instructions
• Module Matrix page