[Geoserver-devel] output formats blacklisting

GeoServer GeoServer Developer
1

Hey all,

just a quick thought.

If we finally implement some sort of control for what WMS/WFS output
formats are enabled, should it be in the form of a black list or a white
list?

I think if someone wants to limit the available output formats at all
white list would make more sense? say he upgrades and new output formats
come in, then it would make more sense if they're not enabled by
default, since the admin already set his preferences?

Also, I thought there already was a jira for this but couldn't find one.
If there's one and someone knows of it that'd be great, otherwise I
would create a new one.

Cheers,
Gabriel

--
Gabriel Roldan
groldan@anonymised.com
Expert service straight from the developers

2

On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 3:39 PM, Gabriel Roldán <groldan@anonymised.com01…> wrote:

Hey all,

just a quick thought.

If we finally implement some sort of control for what WMS/WFS output
formats are enabled, should it be in the form of a black list or a white
list?

I’d go for a black list. Everything included unless one explicitly removes the
output format.
We already have the machinery to black list a bean from the spring contex
to the eyes of GeoServerExtensions, see ExclusionFilter and its implementations.

I think if someone wants to limit the available output formats at all
white list would make more sense? say he upgrades and new output formats
come in, then it would make more sense if they’re not enabled by
default, since the admin already set his preferences?

I see, this makes sense as well… hmmm… well, the machinery above could
be implemented also to create a white list, you just exclude everything that
is not in the white list.

Both do work for me. By default the selection mechanism should be disabled
though, otherwise someone that wants all the formats may upgrade and wonder
why that new format (think GML 3.2 in GS 2.1) is not working.

Also, I thought there already was a jira for this but couldn’t find one.

Err… don’t remember, but I think it was Mike’s request about the ability to
choose which extensions to enable, so maybe try adding that in the search filter

Cheers
Andrea

–

Ing. Andrea Aime
GeoSolutions S.A.S.
Tech lead

Via Poggio alle Viti 1187
55054 Massarosa (LU)
Italy

phone: +39 0584 962313
fax: +39 0584 962313
mob: +39 333 8128928

http://www.geo-solutions.it
http://geo-solutions.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/GeoSolutionsIT
http://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaime
http://twitter.com/geowolf

3

On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:11 PM, Andrea Aime <andrea.aime@anonymised.com.1268…> wrote:

On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 3:39 PM, Gabriel Roldán <groldan@anonymised.com> wrote:

Hey all,

just a quick thought.

If we finally implement some sort of control for what WMS/WFS output
formats are enabled, should it be in the form of a black list or a white
list?

I’d go for a black list. Everything included unless one explicitly removes the
output format.
We already have the machinery to black list a bean from the spring contex
to the eyes of GeoServerExtensions, see ExclusionFilter and its implementations.

I think if someone wants to limit the available output formats at all
white list would make more sense? say he upgrades and new output formats
come in, then it would make more sense if they’re not enabled by
default, since the admin already set his preferences?

I see, this makes sense as well… hmmm… well, the machinery above could
be implemented also to create a white list, you just exclude everything that
is not in the white list.

Both do work for me. By default the selection mechanism should be disabled
though, otherwise someone that wants all the formats may upgrade and wonder
why that new format (think GML 3.2 in GS 2.1) is not working.

Ah, another potential downside of a whitelist is an admin trying to disable a built-in
format, then installing an extra format tha comes as an extension, and wondering
why it does not work.

In both cases it seems we have to compound good documentation with the mechanism.
If we have to go that way a black list would seem more natural to me (I choose what
I don’t want the people to use). Probably just a personal preference

Cheers
Andrea

–

Ing. Andrea Aime
GeoSolutions S.A.S.
Tech lead

Via Poggio alle Viti 1187
55054 Massarosa (LU)
Italy

phone: +39 0584 962313
fax: +39 0584 962313
mob: +39 333 8128928

http://www.geo-solutions.it
http://geo-solutions.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/GeoSolutionsIT
http://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaime
http://twitter.com/geowolf