Metadata in QGIS

An Overview

Jo Cook | Astun Technology | @archaeogeek

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What do we mean when we talk about metadata in QGIS?

Geographic Metadata: info QGIS needs, like CRS, extents, geometry types...
Human Metadata: info humans need, like who to contact, when the data was created, what is it for...

What use cases are there?

Discovery Metadata: using metadata to find new data...
Creating Metadata: using QGIS to create metadata, for example for INSPIRE...

QGIS has plugins to suit all these uses...

... but are they any good?

A JNCC report from 2014 (jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-6762) assessing QGIS's suitability for replacing proprietary alternatives highlighted metdata as an area of weakness

“metadata management functionality was extremely limited in QGIS”

tl;dr there's room for improvement!

Overview of existing plugins

Layer Metadata Dock

Does what it says on the tin- provides quick access to layer metadata such as extent, attribute fields, CRS, available actions

Customisable- choose which metadata elements you want to display

Has options to copy elements to clipboard but no obvious way of exporting the information (eg to xml)

Development

Has a github repository at github.com/stevefaeembra/LayerMetadata

Most recent commit was 7 months ago

1 contributor

Metatools

Good bits

Metadata browser and editor for QGIS. Supports both vector and raster layers

Supported metadata standards: ISO19115/ISO19139 and FGDC

Can associate, view and edit metadata in other schemas

Not so good bits

Validation is only possible in FGDC

Editing is limited, as there are no controlled text lookups

Documentation is sometimes confusing- text in images is in Cryllic!

Development

Has a github repository at github.com/nextgis/metatools

Most recent commit was 1 month ago

5 contributors, developed by NextGIS for Linfiniti Consulting

QSphere

Good bits

Metadata browser and editor for QGIS

Supports ISO19139/INSPIRE

Can connect to remote servers for CSW and lookup tables

Not so good bits

Trouble installing (had to install manually)

No obvious english-language repository or bug tracker

The 80s called- they want their interface back!

XML capabilities slightly limited (XPath 1.0, no nilreason, href etc)

Development

Has a code repository at qgis.projets.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/projects/qsphere but versions don't match

Most recent commit was 3 weeks ago (maybe?)

2 contributors, developed for French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable development and Energy

Layer Metadata Search

Search tool for data stored in PostGIS database

Search on title and abstract

Help documentation currently on private intranet!

Development

Has a github repository at github.com/lutraconsulting/qgis-geocat-plugin

Most recent commit was 5 months ago

1 contributor, developed by Lutra Consulting for Dartmoor National Park Authority

MetaSearch

Search tool for metadata/data stored on remote CSW servers

Choose from pre-loaded CSW servers (eg data.gov.uk) or connect to your own

Load data directly if metadata permits it

Development

Now part of QGIS Core, so code is available at github.com/qgis/QGIS/tree/master/python/plugins/MetaSearch

Most recent commit was 4 weeks ago

Main developer is Tom Kralidis

INSPIRE Atom Client

Search tool for metadata/data sourced from an INSPIRE Atom download URL

Choose from pre-loaded URL or connect to your own

Load data directly if metadata permits it

Could not get any UK Atom URLs to work!

Development

Experimental plugin, GitHub repository available at github.com/JuergenWeichand/qgis-inspire-atom-client-plugin

Most recent commit was 6 months ago

2 Developers

And finally, what about INSPIRE Phase 2?

eg data file format, geometric, and schema transformations

QGIS can handle some of these natively, but there's no obvious way of working with the INSPIRE data schemas for data transformations

Support for viewing Complex GML and/or WFS 2.0 is covered by plugins

It would be nice if it was possible to download the schema here: inspire.ec.europa.eu/schemas/elu/4.0/ExistingLandUse.xsd for use inside QGIS

Currently external packages are needed for this

If you have FME then you're sorted, but of the available open source packages Hale Studio fits the bill

Thoughts

Every existing plugin/tool has bugs so there's plenty of room for development in this area

QSphere and MetaTools should combine to make a single plugin

Best current solution is creating/validating metadata in Geonetwork and using MetaSearch plugin for QGIS discovery, and something like Hale Studio for INSPIRE data transformation

Thanks!

archaeogeek.github.io/qgis-uk-glasgow-2016-metadata

Jo Cook | Astun Technology | @archaeogeek