As results of the Google Summer of Code at the gvSIG project, the gvSIG plug-in for GGL has been released [1].
GGL is a specific programming language for geoprocessing where typical constructions of the more known programming languages (loops, conditionals, etc.) and specific constructions for geoprocessing to execute topological operations, filters, transformation of geometries, etc. adding help at the same time that the user write the scripts.
The released plug-in allows to reference the data sources of the project open currently in gvSIG Desktop from the GGL scripts, making the geoprocessing of the data loaded in gvSIG possible. Anyway, the plug-in allows to visualize return results in gvSIG Desktop loading the same ones at the active view.
Apart from the plug-in, several tutorials and reference documents [2] have been published to understand the logical language.
Likewise, some mailing lists [3] have been created to solve any problem or doubt when the system is used.
The advantages of using a geoprocessing specific language are:
– The mentioned geoprocessing specific constructions: geometries in WKT, coordinates processing, typical operators of the relational algebra that add the same capacities than the spatial SQL to the language, etc.
– Help for creating scripts: Validations at the same time that the user writes, verification of the existence of the data sources and accessed data structures, autocompletion with the fields of the accessed files, etc.
– Pre-selection of technologies: GGL offers a series of functions to the user, that use the best internal technology currently: parsers, data access API, etc. That technology is pre-selected by the language developers, and it’s a less responsibility for the user, who only has to specify the operation and not how to execute it.
– Possibility to repeat geoprocesses, share them, give support, etc.
Weblinks:
[1] http://www.gearscape.org/index.php/downloads
[2] http://www.gearscape.org/index.php/documentation
[3] http://www.gearscape.org/index.php/community