Modifying Feature Types

GeoServer provides a fully Transactional Web Feature Service (WFS-T) which enables users to insert/delete/modify the available FeatureTypes. This section shows a few of the GeoServer WFS-T capabilities and interactions with GIS clients.

Modifying Feature Types using GeoNode

1. Open your instance of GeoNode and log in as a superuser or a user having write rights on at least some Layers

   

   GeoNode Layers

2. Select a Layer on which when you have right to edit data

   Warning

   You can edit only Layers which have been stored on a JDBC DataStore, like a DataBase. On GeoNode this is only possible if the DB datastore has been enabled from the settings.

   

   GeoNode Layer Select

3. Click on Edit Layer and then, from the pop-up window, click on Edit data

   Warning

   The Edit data button will be available only for writable Layers (see above).

   

   GeoNode Edit Layer

4. When the Map shows up along with your Layer, zoom in to a region you want to update or create.

   

   GeoNode Navigate Layer

5. Identify the Edit button on the map top toolbar, click on the small arrow on the left in order to show up the context menu.

   

   GeoNode Edit Button

6. Lets first Modify a FeatureType. Click on Modify.

   

   GeoNode Modify FeatureType

7. Select a geometry and click over it. From the small info dialog window, select Edit

   

   GeoNode Editing a FeatureType

8. Modify the geometry and/or the values of the field as you wish, and then click on Save.

   Hint

   If you want you can also completely delete the FeatureType by clicking on the Delete button from the same info dialog window.

   

   GeoNode Updating a FeatureType

9. Verify that the changes have been stored on GeoServer.

   Replace the URL

   http://your_host/maps/new?layer=geonode:streams_1
   

   with

   http://your_host/geoserver/wms/reflect?layers=geonode:streams_1
   

   Warning

   Pay attention to the parameter: layer becomes layers, plural. If you want you can also add an output format parameter, like format=openlayers. In that case the complete URL becomes:

   http://your_host/geoserver/wms/reflect?layers=geonode:streams_1&format=openlayers

   

   GeoServer Displaying the Updated Layer

   Click over the FeautreType in order to display the updates values too.

10. Repeat the FeatureType editing but this time click on Create (or simply click over the Edit button and not on its right small arrow).

    

    GeoNode Creating a FeatureType

    

    GeoServer Displaying the New Feature

Modifying Feature Types using a Desktop GIS client

1. Open uDig GIS desktop client by going on the command line, changing directory in the training root if necessary, and running the udig command.

2. Add GeoServer WFS to the catalog.

   

   Use the import button in the catalog tab, and select “data” in the first page of the wizard

   

   Selection of Web Feature Service data

   Insert into the URL text box the following address:

   http://localhost:8083/geoserver/wfs?request=GetCapabilities&service=WFS
   

   

   The WFS URL

   Select the Mainrd from the list

   

   WFS Datasets shown into the uDig catalog

3. Load the Mainrd Feature Type using drag-n-drop.

   

   Importing Mainrd into the map

4. Perform a zoom operation on the upper-right part of the layer.

   

   Zooming in …

   

   Zooming in …

5. By using the Select and Edit Geometry tool try to move/add/remove some vertex to the small line at the center of the screen.

   

   Playing with the Geometry

6. Once finished use the Commit tool to persist the changes on GeoServer.

   

   Committing changes throught the WFS-T protocol

7. Use GeoServer Layer Preview to view the changes on the Mainrd layer.

   Warning

   In order to view the streets lines you have to specify the line style on the GetMap request.

   

   Showing the changes to the Mainrd Feature Type

8. On uDig look the Feature attribute values using the Info tool.

   

   Retrieving Feature Type info from uDig interface

9. Now open/create the request.xml file in the training root directory and set in the following request, which will be used to issue an Update Feature type request to the WFS-T updating all roads labelled as Monarch Rd to Monarch Road

   <wfs:Transaction xmlns:topp="http://www.openplans.org/topp" xmlns:ogc="http://www.opengis.net/ogc" xmlns:wfs="http://www.opengis.net/wfs" service="WFS" version="1.0.0">
     <wfs:Update typeName="geosolutions:Mainrd">
           <wfs:Property>
             <wfs:Name>LABEL_NAME</wfs:Name>
             <wfs:Value>Monarch Road</wfs:Value>
           </wfs:Property>
           <ogc:Filter>
             <ogc:PropertyIsEqualTo>
                 <ogc:PropertyName>LABEL_NAME</ogc:PropertyName>
                 <ogc:Literal>Monarch Rd</ogc:Literal>
             </ogc:PropertyIsEqualTo>
           </ogc:Filter>
     </wfs:Update>
   </wfs:Transaction>
   

10. Issue the WFS-T request towards GeoServer using curl on the command line:

    curl -XPOST -d @request.xml -H "Content-type: application/xml" "http://localhost:8083/geoserver/ows"
    

11. The response should be a TransactionResponse XML document containing a wfs:SUCCESS element

12. Ask the info again using the uDig Info tool …

    Note

    In order to issue a GetFeatureInfo request from the OpenLayers MapPreview tool, just left-click over the line.

    

    Obtaining the updated Feature Type info from uDig interface

13. Finally, obtain the Feature type info using the GetFeatureInfo operation issued directly by the Map Preview .

    

    Obtaining the updated Feature Type info from OpenLayers MapPreview GetFeatureInfo