QGIS Server Meeting - June 2020
- Motivation
- Goals & not-goals
- Ecosystem
- Market segments
- Open questions
- Discussion
Motivation
- We had no meetings in 2020!
- Low diffusion/worth the effort?
- Lack of common vision (see QEPs)?
Example open questions
Should we provide/ship ...
- a web client?
- integrated authentication?
- an introspection API?
- an admin panel?
Meeting goals
- Define the product vision statement and its scope.
- Identify weaknesses and strenghts.
- Plans for the (server) world domination.
Not goals
- Implementation details
- Funding
Ecosystem
What do we develop/maintain/ship as a QGIS official product?
FOSS Map Server Market Segments
- Enterprise/Institutional
- Stability
- Scalability
- Performances
- Professional Support
- Features
- Documentation
- Small business/individuals
- Ease of deployment
- Flexibility
- Programmability
- Community Support
- Documentation/tutorials/examples
GeoServer
The "all-in-one" "one-fits-all" feature complete solution
- PROS
- Feature complete (all-in-one)
- Integrated caches, auth etc.
- Admin panel
- Documentation
- Performances
- Vendor extensions (CQL, styling ...)
- Professional support
- CONS
- Installation/deployment
- Programmability/embedding
- Old-style (XML + Java)
MapServer
The UNIX-style solution: do one thing and do it well
- PROS
- Deployment
- Programmability/embedding
- Documentation
- Performances
- CONS
- External apps for caching, auth etc.
- Configuration
- Features
- Styling
- No admin panel
- Professional support (?)
QGIS Server
Unique selling point: WYSIWYG QGIS integration
- PROS
- QGIS integration
- Programmability/embedding
- Styling
- Vendor extensions (GetPrint ...)
- Community
- CONS
- External apps for caching, auth etc.
- Features
- Performances (?)
- Documentation
- No admin panel
- Config babel
- Professional support (?)
Open questions
QGIS Server application concept:
- OGC (expandable) web service framework ← current
- full featured all-in-one/one-fits-all application ← GeoServer
Open questions II
Better out-of-the box UX:
- Do nothing
- WFS3-like minimalistic (but template-based) landing page
- Ship an official one-fits-all client
Open questions III
Introspection API
- Do nothing
- Provide C++/Python hooks and leave it to plugins
- official packages
- plugin installer
- DIY Installation