Stefan Steiniger: Aug-2007: subjective evaluation

Version: 03. March. 2008 (small changes)

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The table(s) should be published in forthcoming journal article which I have started to work on for a research article, because it bothers me, that current GIS research is hardly aware of the existing systems. I imagine that we all can profit from a better visibility – e.g. in terms of extended functionality.

 

To give an overview on the OS GIS functions I have setup a second table, to be found as well in this directory on http://www.spatialserver.net/osgis/.

 

I am open for suggestions on improving the table (e.g. in terms of used evaluation criteria and scales). But note that we should not add too much information in one table. So suggestions for further tables are welcome as well.

 

Stefan

sstein@geo.uzh.ch

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- possible GIS application foci:  a) data editing, b) conflation, c) analysis, d) viewing (web)

- user community: a) worldwide vs. Local (country), b) small – medium – large, c) growing

- evaluation scale: --,-,o,+,++

 

Desktop GIS

Evaluation criterion

 

User level

 

Data Type

Application focus*

Platform

Supported OGC

standards

User community

Reference

user

Development

support

License

Usability

Docu-mentation

Modular/ PlugIn concept

Developer

API

N

O

V

I

C

E

 

E

X

P

E

R

I

E

N

C

E

D

E

X

P

E

R

T

R

E

S

E

A

R

C

H

V

E

C

T

O

R

R

A

S

T

E

R

 

 

W

I

N

D

O

S

L

I

N

U

X

 

M

A

C

O

S

X

L

A

N

G

U

A

G

E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(downloads in 2 months – e.g. for mid 2007)

 

open or closed?

 

[commiting Developers 2007]

C

O

M

P

A

N

Y

User

List

[average

response in days]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System)

 1982/85

(x)

x

 

 

x

x

 

x

x

 

Analysis and scientific visualization, cartography, simulation

x

 

x

 

x

 

C, Shell, TclTk, Python

 

Grass 6.2:

GML (via OGR), WFS, WMS

Worldwide,

large, growing

()

Who is using GRASS: (http://grass.itc.it/intro/)

Open,

Research Instituts,

Universities, Companies, Volunteers worldwide

[]

X

++ []

GPL

-/+

+

Yes/?

?

QGIS* (Quantum GIS)

 2002

x

x

 

 

x

x

x

x

 

Viewing,

GRASS-Graphical User Interface

x

 

 

x

 

 

x

C++, Qt4, Python

QGIS 0.9: WMS, WFS, SFS (via PostGIS) , GML (via OGR)

worldwide, large, growing

()

Kanton Solothurn,

QGIS user map (http://qgis.org)

Open,

Universities, Companies, Volunteers worldwide

[]

X

 

++ []

GPL

+

++

Yes/Yes

Yes

UDig* (user-friendly Desktop GIS)

2004/05

x

x

 

x

x

x

(x)

Viewing, Editing,

Analysis

 

x

 

x

 

x

Java

(Eclipse

RCP)

uDig 1.1: SFS, WMS, WFS, GML, SLD, OWC

worldwide, medium, growing

()

JGrass

Open,

Companies

(Refractions Research, Axios) Organizations (TOPP)

[6]

X

+ [1]

LGPL, Core Eclipse RCP is EPL,

some modules GPL

+

user interface guidelines, formal review process

++ (user, sdk, project)

Yes/Yes

Yes (SDK Version)

 

JGrass

Interface and GUI for GRASS,

 Rasteranalysis, Hydrology

Worldwide, small, growing

Silvia Franceschi

 

 

 

DivaGIS

 

BioInformatics

UN FAO

UN FAO in Peru

 

 

 

gvSIG ( Generalitat Valenciana, Sistema d'Informació Geogrŕfica?) – 2004

x

x

 

 

 

x

x

x

x

goal: replacing ArcView

x

 

 

x

 

 

x

 

 

Java

gvSIG 1.1: SFS, WMS, WFS, WCS, WMC, GML

worldwide,

large,

growing

()

Reg. Council for Infrastr. and Transport. (Valencia, ES)

Open,

Companies, Universities and Organizations

[more than 40]

X

 

++; 3 lists [1]

GPL

+

formal review process

+

Yes/Yes

No

KOSMO 

(Kosmo - a spanish JUMP fork)

2005

x

x

 

 

x

 

x

(x)

 

Viewing,

Editing, Analysis

x

 

x

 

 

Java

Kosmo 1.0: SFS, WMS, SLD (V1.2: additionally WFS,WPS)

Spanish (300+),

English: small growing

Utilities, Local and Regional Covernment

Open,

Companies (project driven, utilities, etc.)[]

X

+; 2 lists [1]

GPL

+

+

spanish only

Yes/Yes

Yes

SAGA (System for Automated GeoScientific Analysis)

2001

x

x

 

 

x

x

 

x

x

 

Analysis, modeling, scientific visualization

x

x

 

C++

WMS, WFS, WCS (under development)

Medium

(ca. 3500 downloads, 2 months, mid 2007)

Dept. Physical Geography,

Univ. Hamburg

Open

Lead: University of Hamburg

[ca. 5]

X

+ [7]

LGPL (API), GPL

+

+

Yes/Yes

Yes

ILWIS

(Integrated Land and Water Information System) ca. 1980

x

x

x

x

x

x

Analysis

x

 

 

MS Visual C

WFS/WCS under development

Medium (ca. 10000+)

 

Open,

ITC / 52° North

x

+ [1]

GPL

++

++