I’m pretty sure that the heterogeneity of the Processing plugin’s graphical interface is not something that many people (if any) pay attention to. And it is very likely that the code responsible for the generation of the interface has never been seen by anyone other than the developers. Since everything works as expected, everyone is happy with it. And it does not matter what the windows or buttons look like. Let alone the code. In fact, both are important. A unified interface looks professional, is more convenient and pleasant to use, while clean, well-structured code is easier to maintain and extend.
My first thought was to do a crowdfunding campaign like Matthias, but then I changed my mind. So now I am slowly fixing it in my spare time. I’m hoping to get this done in time for the 2.8 release, which will be a long-term supported release.
The release of QGIS 2.6 “Brighton” has been announced. This release contains many new features, bugfixes and improvements.
The detailed changelog can be found here. For normal users, it is better to use the visual changelog. The most important and interesting changes are listed below:
implemented support for expression (virtual) fields
actions can now have an associated icon
more expression functions and variables have been added, including $currentfeature and $atlasfeature to get the current feature in different contexts, attribute() and getFeature() to get the attribute value of a feature or a feature with matching attribute, respectively
layer tree overhaul: new API, visibility groups, legend filter and more
syntax highlighting in all code editors (Python, expressions, HTML and CSS)
added support for custom colour palettes
new colour picker dialogue with a wide range of features
Processing Modeler overhaul
online repository for Processing models and scrips
item panel in Print Composer for quick access to all composer items
many properties of various composer items have been made data-defined
support for multiple overview maps for a composer map element
and much more
The source code and binary packages for Windows, Debian, and Ubuntu are available for download. Packages for other distributions and operating systems will appear as they are prepared by the maintainers.
The 12th QGIS developers meeting, which took place in Essen (Germany), has ended.
In my previous posts (day 1, day 2, and day 3), I have already covered the main points, and now I will go into a little more detail about the most interesting results.
Certification
Four types of certificates are planned: QGIS User, QGIS Professional, QGIS Trainer, and QGIS Developer. Also, PSC will issue so-called “grandfather” certificates. The TAO online platform will be used for assessments.
New geometry class
A complete update of the QgsGeometry class, which is responsible for the spatial component of objects, is planned:
support for an extended set of geometric primitives
support for Z (altitude) and M (measurement) values
support for curves
new extensible architecture
an extensive set of unit-tests
The first batch of changes has already been implemented, and new functionality is expected to be included in the QGIS 2.7 code base. The work was supported by the Canton of Solothurn.
Other topics
In fact, there were many more interesting and active discussions, and some topics appeared on the agenda spontaneously (for example, support for SAGA and OTB in Processing on Debian builds). In addition to broad discussions, there were also “narrow” discussions where specialized problems were solved (such as downloading data from the Portuguese iGeo portal), and participants periodically organized into groups to solve problems together and/or find and fix bugs.
Also during the meeting:
we discussed changes to the release schedule: it is proposed to maintain the LTS release with a 1 year lifecycle
support for Python plugins for the QGIS Server was proposed and partially implemented. This way, one can significantly expand the functionality of the server without the need to make changes to its code
we discussed the prospects of fTools (vector data) and GDALTools (raster data) plug-ins and their possible replacement with Processing
PSC completed process of the trademark registration and developed guidelines for its use
we started work on integrating contextual help into the documentation
lots of bugs were fixed
documentation was updated
Many thanks to the organizers and LinuxHotel staff for their hospitality.
Today was a very busy day. A smaller number of commits from developers (20 today vs. 40 yesterday) was compensated by active discussions:
the future of the fTools plugin (GDALTools in trouble too)
new release preparation policy
adding plugins support to QGIS Server
updating QgsGeometry class (support for Z/M values and curves)
docker capabilities for QGIS developers and users
trademark registration and protection
Work on updating the documentation and the website also continued. We decided to skip the documentation update for QGIS 2.4 and focus on writing documentation for the upcoming QGIS 2.6 instead.
The second day of the QGIS hackfest is coming to an end.
The documentation team has continued to update the documentation and website, with over 30 commits today. The developers have not lagged behind — the number of commits is approaching 40. As always, Martin is a delight: thanks to his efforts, the rendering speed of a simple symbol renderer has increased significantly. Depending on the data, the speed increase ranges from 19 to 31%.
The first day of the 12th QGIS Developer Meeting in Essen has passed. Actually, it’s not really correct to consider it a full-featured day of the meeting, because most of the attendees were just arriving today. Moreover, today Linuxhotel was hosting an event and we were not able to fully use its infrastructure.
But all this did not prevent us from getting to know each other, communicating and even (there were such maniacs) doing something. For example, Otto, Richard, and Yves started documentation update. The day ended with a joint dinner at Haus Großjung.
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), besides developing free GIS software, pays great attention to educational and scientific work. In particular, together with the ICA and ISPRS, OSGeo supports the formation of laboratories and research centers around the world (the so-called ICA-OSGeo Laboratory Network). The goal of this initiative is to promote and encourage educational, research, and other activities related to free GIS and open geodata.
The first (and so far the only) scientific and educational OSGeo laboratory in Ukraine and the former USSR was created on the basis of the Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology Department of the Faculty of Geography of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Last week I was in Kyiv applying for a German visa. It turned out that the process is not as complex and scary as it is said over the internet.
First, I checked the information published on the German embassy website and found out that:
application can be made directly via the embassy in Kyiv
it is also possible to apply via one of the visa centers (in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Donetsk)
What is important is that in the case of an application via the visa center, documents can be submitted either in person or with the help of an authorized representative, while applying via the embassy is only possible in person. I chose the second option — applying through the visa center. Firstly, I have to travel (to Kyiv or another city) anyway. Secondly, the number of available time slots at the embassy is much lower than at the visa center. Thirdly, application processing will be faster in the visa center. And lastly, when applying through the visa center, you can order delivery of the passport by courier service. So I checked train and bus schedules and chose the visa center in Kyiv: it should be more or less comfortable timing, and there is no need to stay overnight.
Next, determine the purpose of the trip and download a list of required documents, a visa application form, and, in the case of applying through the visa center, a consent for personal data processing. Then collect all the required certificates and other documents. Luckily, a notarized translation to German is not needed to be more precise:
Translation of Ukrainian documents is optional and not subject to notarization.
At least, this is the response I received to my question.
The sample of the visa application form is in German, but it can be filled out in Ukrainian, except for the name, surname, and place of birth. Although I filled it out in German. If you have to contact your bank to get a statement of account, make sure that the stamp is present not only on the certificate but also in the statement itself.
That’s pretty much all the preparation.
I arrived in Kyiv and spent some time finding the building of the visa center: formally, the visa center is located at Frunze street, 60. But to find it, one needs to turn to Zavodska street first and walk about 100 meters. Actually, under number 60, there is not only the German visa center but about 10 of them. There are Canada, Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, all Scandinavian countries… Neat houses surrounded by a common fence.
The visa center’s website contains information about security measures: electronic devices (including mobile phones) are not allowed, bags and backpacks are not allowed, and so on. In fact, it’s not all that bad. You can bring your phone, but the security guard will ask you to turn it off. As for backpacks and bags, there are some luggage storage facilities. But I don’t know if it’s like that in all centers.
The documents were accepted quickly: I had an appointment for 9 a. m., but was already free at that time. This is despite the fact that I was 19th in line.
Actually, why am I talking about it. I just received a package with my passport, and there is a new visa in it.