[Geoserver-devel] Pull request on static legend graphics

GeoServer GeoServer Developer
1

Hi
I’m having a look at this pull request “Allow an ExternalGraphic to be used instead of the GetLegendGraphic service in the WMS GetCapabilities LegendURL”:
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/155

The changes look good to me, but the user interface leaves me a doubt:

Inline image 1

The way it looks it almost seems like the legend information box has to be filled, it
feels like something required. I find this rather confusing for the end user.
Wouldn’t it be better to have a drop down with two choices about how the legend
links should be generated:

  • refer to GetLegendGraphics
  • use a static image
    and have the fields to configure the static image appear only if the static image option
    is selected?

There are a couple of other minor things.
The first is about GetLegendGraphics itself, which at the moment ignores this setting…
no big deal, definitely not blocking, in the end, a WMS client will end up ignoring
GetLegendGraphics if the static link is in the capabilities document.

The other thing is that the GUI assumes the icon is already available at some URL.
Fine, but isn’t this a bit limited and out of line with what we already do about styles?
A legend graphic file in the styles directory is also something we should try to support
imho, just like we refer external graphics in the styles directory when generating KML.
Again, not a blocker, just thinking out loud here.

Cheers
Andrea

–

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2

I agree that the UI for this leaves a little to be desired. When I was working on https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/63 I was initially trying to make it like the Metadata links section on the layer edit page where you click the “Add link” button and the input boxes appear. But I couldn’t get it working in the time I had. I thought that this would be easier to update later to add multiple legends for different scale ranges.

Thanks,
Yancy Matherne
Software Developer

Geocent, LLC
111 Veterans Blvd., Suite 1600
Metairie, LA 70005
O: (504) 831-1900
E: yancy.matherne@anonymised.com
http://www.geocent.com

From: Andrea Aime [andrea.aime@anonymised.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2013 5:54 AM
To: Geoserver-devel
Subject: [Geoserver-devel] Pull request on static legend graphics

Hi
I’m having a look at this pull request “Allow an ExternalGraphic to be used instead of the GetLegendGraphic service in the WMS GetCapabilities LegendURL”:
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/155

The changes look good to me, but the user interface leaves me a doubt:

Inline image 1

The way it looks it almost seems like the legend information box has to be filled, it
feels like something required. I find this rather confusing for the end user.
Wouldn’t it be better to have a drop down with two choices about how the legend
links should be generated:

  • refer to GetLegendGraphics
  • use a static image
    and have the fields to configure the static image appear only if the static image option
    is selected?

There are a couple of other minor things.
The first is about GetLegendGraphics itself, which at the moment ignores this setting…
no big deal, definitely not blocking, in the end, a WMS client will end up ignoring
GetLegendGraphics if the static link is in the capabilities document.

The other thing is that the GUI assumes the icon is already available at some URL.
Fine, but isn’t this a bit limited and out of line with what we already do about styles?
A legend graphic file in the styles directory is also something we should try to support
imho, just like we refer external graphics in the styles directory when generating KML.
Again, not a blocker, just thinking out loud here.

Cheers
Andrea

–

==
Our support, Your Success! Visit http://opensdi.geo-solutions.it for more information.

Ing. Andrea Aime
@geowolf
Technical Lead

GeoSolutions S.A.S.
Via Poggio alle Viti 1187
55054 Massarosa (LU)
Italy
phone: +39 0584 962313
fax: +39 0584 1660272
mob: +39 339 8844549

http://www.geo-solutions.it
http://twitter.com/geosolutions_it

3

The idea of the "hidden" boxes, shown to the user when he explicitly wants to
add an image, sounds good to me. Less intrusive than now. And it is true
that now it might seem it is mandatory (or at least, somehow necessary) to
add an image.

I can start working on that, and then we can continue discussing the other
ideas that Andrea mentioned, not so related with the UI itself, but with the
behaviour.

sounds good to you?

Thanks

Victor

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4

On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 10:42 AM, volayaOG <volaya@anonymised.com> wrote:

The idea of the “hidden” boxes, shown to the user when he explicitly wants to
add an image, sounds good to me. Less intrusive than now. And it is true
that now it might seem it is mandatory (or at least, somehow necessary) to
add an image.

I can start working on that, and then we can continue discussing the other
ideas that Andrea mentioned, not so related with the UI itself, but with the
behaviour.

sounds good to you?

Sure. The other things I’ve mentioned are not blockers, was just thinking out
loud

Cheers
Andrea

–

==
Our support, Your Success! Visit http://opensdi.geo-solutions.it for more information.

Ing. Andrea Aime
@geowolf
Technical Lead

GeoSolutions S.A.S.
Via Poggio alle Viti 1187
55054 Massarosa (LU)
Italy
phone: +39 0584 962313
fax: +39 0584 1660272
mob: +39 339 8844549

http://www.geo-solutions.it
http://twitter.com/geosolutions_it