QGIS: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Functionality: update to reflect add of point clouds, and shifting relative importance of other platforms/packages
 
(24 intermediate revisions by 20 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Open source desktop GIS software}}
{{Short description|Open-source desktop GIS software}}
{{Infobox software
{{Infobox software
| name = QGIS
| name = QGIS
Line 22: Line 22:
}}
}}


'''QGIS''' is a [[free software|free]] and [[open-source software|open-source]] [[cross-platform]] desktop [[geographic information system]] (GIS) application that supports viewing, editing, printing, and analysis of geospatial data.<ref name="Official Website">{{cite web|title=QGIS Official Website |url=http://www.qgis.org/ |publisher=QGIS |access-date=16 October 2013}}</ref>
'''QGIS''' is a [[geographic information system]] (GIS) software that is [[free and open-source]].<ref name="Official Website">{{cite web|title=QGIS Official Website |url=http://www.qgis.org/ |publisher=QGIS |access-date=16 October 2013}}</ref> QGIS supports [[Windows]], [[macOS]], and [[Linux]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Download QGIS |url=https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=www.qgis.org}}</ref> It supports viewing, editing, printing, and analysis of geospatial data in a range of data formats. QGIS was previously also known as Quantum GIS.


==Functionality==
==Functionality==
QGIS functions as [[geographic information system]] (GIS) software, allowing users to analyze and edit spatial information, in addition to composing and exporting graphical maps.<ref name="Official Website" /> QGIS supports [[raster graphics|raster]], [[Vector graphics|vector]] and mesh layers. Vector data is stored as either point, line, or [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygon]] features. Multiple formats of raster images are supported, and the software can [[georeferencing|georeference]] images.
QGIS functions as geographic information system (GIS) software, allowing users to analyze and edit spatial information, in addition to composing and exporting graphical maps.<ref name="Official Website" /> QGIS supports [[raster graphics|raster]], [[Vector graphics|vector]], mesh, and point cloud layers.<ref>{{cite web |title=QGIS project README file |url=https://github.com/qgis/QGIS/blob/master/README.md |website=github.com/qgis |access-date=20 March 2024 |ref=readme_md}}</ref> Vector data is stored as either point, line, or [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygon]] features. Multiple formats of raster images are supported, and the software can [[georeferencing|georeference]] images.


QGIS supports [[shapefile]]s, personal geodatabases, [[dxf]], [[MapInfo Professional|MapInfo]], [[PostGIS]], and other industry-standard formats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/getting-started-quantum-gis |title=Getting Started With Quantum GIS |work=Linux Journal |last=Gray |first=James |date=2008-03-26}}</ref> Web services, including [[Web Map Service]] and [[Web Feature Service]], are also supported to allow use of data from external sources.<ref name="Cavallini"/>
QGIS supports [[shapefile]]s, personal geodatabases, [[dxf]], [[MapInfo Professional|MapInfo]], [[PostGIS]], and other industry-standard formats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/getting-started-quantum-gis |title=Getting Started With Quantum GIS |work=Linux Journal |last=Gray |first=James |date=2008-03-26}}</ref> Web services, including [[Web Map Service]] and [[Web Feature Service]], are also supported to allow use of data from external sources.<ref name="Cavallini"/>


QGIS integrates with other open-source GIS packages, including [[PostGIS]], [[GRASS GIS]], and [[MapServer]].<ref name="Cavallini"/> [[Plug-in (computing)|Plugins]] written in [[Python (programming)|Python]] or [[C++]] extend QGIS's capabilities. Plugins can geocode using the Google Geocoding API, perform geoprocessing functions similar to those of the standard tools found in [[ArcGIS]], and interface with [[PostgreSQL]]/[[PostGIS]], [[SpatiaLite]] and [[MySQL]] databases.
QGIS integrates with other open-source GIS packages, including [[PostGIS]], [[GRASS GIS]], [[SAGA GIS]], and [[MapServer]].<ref name="Cavallini"/> [[Plug-in (computing)|Plugins]] written in [[Python (programming)|Python]] or [[C++]] extend QGIS's capabilities. Plugins can geocode using the Google Geocoding API, perform geoprocessing functions similar to those of the standard tools found in [[ArcGIS]], and interface with [[PostgreSQL]]/[[PostGIS]], [[SpatiaLite]] and [[MySQL]] databases.


QGIS is built on top of, and standard installs include, broadly-used open-source GIS format and projection conversion libraries [[GDAL]] and [[PROJ|proj]].
QGIS can also be used with [[SAGA GIS]] and [[Kosmo]].


==Development==
==Development==
Line 43: Line 43:


[[File:QGIS-Android screenshot.png|thumbnail|right|A screenshot from QGIS-Android in 2014.]]
[[File:QGIS-Android screenshot.png|thumbnail|right|A screenshot from QGIS-Android in 2014.]]
{{As of|2017}}, QGIS is available for multiple operating systems including [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]], [[Unix]], and [[Microsoft Windows]].<ref name=DL2017>{{cite web |url=http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html |title=Download QGIS |website=QGIS.org |access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref> A mobile version of QGIS was under development for [[Android (operating system)|Android]] {{as of|2014|lc=yes}}.<ref name=android-qgis>{{cite web|title=QGIS for Android|url=http://hub.qgis.org/projects/android-qgis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021182058/http://hub.qgis.org/projects/android-qgis|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 October 2011|access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref>
{{As of|2017}}, QGIS is available for multiple operating systems including [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]], [[Unix]], and [[Microsoft Windows]].<ref name=DL2017>{{cite web |url=http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html |title=Download QGIS |website=QGIS.org |access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref> There are several third-party apps that allow use of QGIS on mobile devices such as QField (Android, iOS and Windows), Mergin Maps (Android, iOS and Windows) and IntraMaps Roam (Windows).<ref name=DL2017>{{cite web |url=http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html |title=Download QGIS |website=QGIS.org |access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref>


QGIS can also be used as a graphical user interface to GRASS. QGIS has a small install footprint on the host file system compared to commercial GISs and generally requires less [[RAM]] and processing power; hence it can be used on older hardware or running simultaneously with other applications where CPU power may be limited.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
QGIS can also be used as a graphical user interface to GRASS. QGIS has a small install footprint on the host file system compared to commercial GISs and generally requires less [[RAM]] and processing power; hence it can be used on older hardware or running simultaneously with other applications where CPU power may be limited.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
Line 51: Line 51:
==Function==
==Function==


QGIS enables users to visualize their data using maps, charts, and diagrams while customizing the presentation with a variety of symbology choices.The capabilities for geographical analysis provided by QGIS, including as buffer construction, spatial querying, and geoprocessing. For more complex geographical analysis, users can additionally make use of plugins and algorithms. QGIS also makes it simple to share and publish geospatial data as maps, online services, or print maps in a variety of file formats, such as shapefiles, GeoTIFFs, and KML files.
QGIS enables users to visualize their data using maps, charts, and diagrams while customizing the presentation with a variety of symbology choices. The capabilities for geographical analysis provided by QGIS, including as buffer construction, spatial querying, and geoprocessing. For more complex geographical analysis, users can additionally make use of plugins and algorithms. QGIS also makes it simple to share and publish geospatial data as maps, online services, or print maps in a variety of file formats, such as shapefiles, GeoTIFFs, and KML files.


[[File:Print composer in QGIS.png|thumb|Screenshot of Print Composer]]
[[File:Print composer in QGIS.png|thumb|Screenshot of Print Composer]]
Line 57: Line 57:


==Licensing==
==Licensing==
As a [[free software]] application under [[GNU GPLv2]], QGIS can be freely modified to perform different or more specialized tasks. Two examples are the QGIS Browser and QGIS Server applications, which use the same code for data access and rendering, but present different front-end interfaces.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}
As a [[free software]] application under [[GNU GPLv2]], QGIS can be freely modified to perform different or more specialized tasks. Two examples are the QGIS Browser and QGIS Server applications, which use the same code for data access and rendering, but present different front-end interfaces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=QGIS Server Guide/Manual — QGIS Documentation documentation |url=https://docs.qgis.org/3.28/en/docs/server_manual/index.html |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=docs.qgis.org}}</ref>


==Adoption==
==Adoption==
Line 64: Line 64:
* [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]
* [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]
* Austrian state of [[Vorarlberg]]
* Austrian state of [[Vorarlberg]]
* [[The Economist]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Economist |url=https://view.e.economist.com/?qs=f23f9794d30266884e9b9ef47429adf7cbe494594408510df62ccb97d56fc2a8172e49360541c1702eb8910dbcfff4fcb812dcbb0226f7fa2cea98ed2a8f6647b777bcf700c1a030186049a60da896de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162114/https://view.e.economist.com/?qs=f23f9794d30266884e9b9ef47429adf7cbe494594408510df62ccb97d56fc2a8172e49360541c1702eb8910dbcfff4fcb812dcbb0226f7fa2cea98ed2a8f6647b777bcf700c1a030186049a60da896de |archive-date=7 July 2023 |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=view.e.economist.com}}</ref>
* [[The Economist]]
* Swiss cantons of [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]] and [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]]<ref name=Vorarlberg>{{cite web|title=QuantumGIS (QGIS) – freie GIS-Software|url=http://www.vorarlberg.at/vorarlberg/bauen_wohnen/bauen/vermessung_geoinformation/neuigkeiten_mitbild_/quantumgis.htm|publisher=Land Vorarlberg|access-date=12 October 2013|archive-date=16 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016143825/http://www.vorarlberg.at/vorarlberg/bauen_wohnen/bauen/vermessung_geoinformation/neuigkeiten_mitbild_/quantumgis.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Swiss cantons of [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]] and [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]]<ref name=Vorarlberg>{{cite web|title=QuantumGIS (QGIS) – freie GIS-Software|url=http://www.vorarlberg.at/vorarlberg/bauen_wohnen/bauen/vermessung_geoinformation/neuigkeiten_mitbild_/quantumgis.htm|publisher=Land Vorarlberg|access-date=12 October 2013|archive-date=16 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016143825/http://www.vorarlberg.at/vorarlberg/bauen_wohnen/bauen/vermessung_geoinformation/neuigkeiten_mitbild_/quantumgis.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* New Zealand's [[Land Information New Zealand|Land Information public service department]]<ref name=linz> {{cite web|title=QGIS related repositories on GitHub - LINZ|url=https://github.com/linz?q=qgis|publisher=GitHub|access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>
* New Zealand's [[Land Information New Zealand|Land Information public service department]]<ref name=linz> {{cite web|title=QGIS related repositories on GitHub - LINZ|url=https://github.com/linz?q=qgis|publisher=GitHub|access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>
Line 76: Line 76:
!Notes
!Notes
|-
|-
| 0.0.1-alpha || || 2002-07
! 0.0.1-alpha
|
| 2002-07
|First public release.
| First public release.
|-
|-
| 1.0 || Kore || 2009-01-05
! 1.0
| Kore
| 2009-01-05
|
|
|-
|-
| 2.0 || Dufour || 2013-09-08
! 2.0
| Dufour
| 2013-09-08
|New vector API, integration of SEXTANTE geoprocessing, symbology and labeling overhaul.  Dropped "Quantum" from the name.
|New vector API, integration of SEXTANTE geoprocessing, symbology and labeling overhaul.  Dropped "Quantum" from the name.
|-
|-
| 3.0 || Girona || 2018-02-23
! 3.0
| Girona
| 2018-02-23
|Significant rewrite, upgrading to Qt5, PyQt5, and Python 3.
|Significant rewrite, upgrading to Qt5, PyQt5, and Python 3.
|-
|-
| 3.2 || Bonn || 2018-06-22
! 3.2
| Bonn
| 2018-06-22
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.4 LTR || Madeira || 2018-10-26
! 3.4 LTR
| Madeira
| 2018-10-26
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.6 || Noosa || 2019-02-22
! 3.6
| Noosa
| 2019-02-22
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.8 || Zanzibar || 2019-06-21
! 3.8
| Zanzibar
| 2019-06-21
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.10 LTR || A Coruña || 2019-10-25
! 3.10 LTR
| A Coruña
| 2019-10-25
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.12 || Bucureşti || 2020-02-21
! 3.12
| Bucureşti
| 2020-02-21
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.14 || Pi || 2020-06-19
! 3.14
| Pi
| 2020-06-19
|New temporal controller.
|New temporal controller.
|-
|-
| 3.16 LTR || Hannover || 2020-10-23
! 3.16 LTR
| Hannover
| 2020-10-23
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.18 || Zürich || 2021-02-19
! 3.18
| Zürich
| 2021-02-19
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.20 || Odense || 2021-06-18
! 3.20
| Odense
| 2021-06-18
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.22 LTR || Białowieża || 2021-10-22
! 3.22 LTR
| Białowieża
| 2021-10-22
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.24 || Tisler || 2022-02-18
! 3.24
| Tisler
| 2022-02-18
|
|
|-
|-
| 3.26 || Buenos Aires || 2022-06-17
! 3.26
| Buenos Aires
| 2022-06-17
|Improved pointcloud and 3D support. New profile plotting framework.
| Improved pointcloud and 3D support. New profile plotting framework.
|-
|-
| 3.28 LTR || Firenze || 2022-10-21
! 3.28 LTR
| Firenze
| 2022-10-21
|
|
|-
|-
! 3.30
|3.30 || 's-Hertogenbosch || 2023-03-03
| style=text-align:center; white-space:nowrap | 's-Hertogenbosch
| 2023-03-03
|
|
|-
|-
|3.32 || Lima || 2023-06-23
! 3.32
| Lima
| 2023-06-23
|
|-
! 3.34 LTR
| Prizren
| 2023-10-27
|
|-
!3.36
|Maidenhead
|2024-02-23
|
|

|}
|}


Latest revision as of 18:15, 20 March 2024

QGIS
Developer(s)QGIS Development Team
Initial releaseJuly 2002 (2002-07)
Stable release
3.36.2[1]Edit this on Wikidata / 19 April 2024
Repository
Written inC++, Python, Qt
PlatformWindows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android(beta)
Available inMultilingual
TypeGeographic information system
LicenseGNU GPLv2
Websiteqgis.org/en/site/ Edit this at Wikidata

QGIS is a geographic information system (GIS) software that is free and open-source.[2] QGIS supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.[3] It supports viewing, editing, printing, and analysis of geospatial data in a range of data formats. QGIS was previously also known as Quantum GIS.

Functionality[edit]

QGIS functions as geographic information system (GIS) software, allowing users to analyze and edit spatial information, in addition to composing and exporting graphical maps.[2] QGIS supports raster, vector, mesh, and point cloud layers.[4] Vector data is stored as either point, line, or polygon features. Multiple formats of raster images are supported, and the software can georeference images.

QGIS supports shapefiles, personal geodatabases, dxf, MapInfo, PostGIS, and other industry-standard formats.[5] Web services, including Web Map Service and Web Feature Service, are also supported to allow use of data from external sources.[6]

QGIS integrates with other open-source GIS packages, including PostGIS, GRASS GIS, SAGA GIS, and MapServer.[6] Plugins written in Python or C++ extend QGIS's capabilities. Plugins can geocode using the Google Geocoding API, perform geoprocessing functions similar to those of the standard tools found in ArcGIS, and interface with PostgreSQL/PostGIS, SpatiaLite and MySQL databases.

QGIS is built on top of, and standard installs include, broadly-used open-source GIS format and projection conversion libraries GDAL and proj.

Development[edit]

Gary Sherman began development of Quantum GIS in early 2002, and it became an incubator project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation in 2007.[7] Version 1.0 was released in January 2009.[8]

In 2013, along with release of version 2.0 the name was officially changed from Quantum GIS to QGIS to avoid confusion as both names had been used in parallel.[9])

Written mainly in C++, QGIS makes extensive use of the Qt library.[6] In addition to Qt, required dependencies of QGIS include GEOS and SQLite. GDAL, GRASS GIS, PostGIS, and PostgreSQL are also recommended, as they provide access to additional data formats.[10]

A screenshot from QGIS-Android in 2014.

As of 2017, QGIS is available for multiple operating systems including Mac OS X, Linux, Unix, and Microsoft Windows.[11] There are several third-party apps that allow use of QGIS on mobile devices such as QField (Android, iOS and Windows), Mergin Maps (Android, iOS and Windows) and IntraMaps Roam (Windows).[11]

QGIS can also be used as a graphical user interface to GRASS. QGIS has a small install footprint on the host file system compared to commercial GISs and generally requires less RAM and processing power; hence it can be used on older hardware or running simultaneously with other applications where CPU power may be limited.[citation needed]

QGIS is maintained by volunteer developers who regularly release updates and bug fixes. As of 2012, developers have translated QGIS into 48 languages and the application is used internationally in academic and professional environments. Several companies offer support and feature development services.[12]

Function[edit]

QGIS enables users to visualize their data using maps, charts, and diagrams while customizing the presentation with a variety of symbology choices. The capabilities for geographical analysis provided by QGIS, including as buffer construction, spatial querying, and geoprocessing. For more complex geographical analysis, users can additionally make use of plugins and algorithms. QGIS also makes it simple to share and publish geospatial data as maps, online services, or print maps in a variety of file formats, such as shapefiles, GeoTIFFs, and KML files.

Screenshot of Print Composer

In order to prepare printed map with QGIS, Print Layout is used. It can be used for adding multiple map views, labels, legends, etc.

Licensing[edit]

As a free software application under GNU GPLv2, QGIS can be freely modified to perform different or more specialized tasks. Two examples are the QGIS Browser and QGIS Server applications, which use the same code for data access and rendering, but present different front-end interfaces.[13]

Adoption[edit]

Many public and private organizations have adopted QGIS, including:

Release History[edit]

"LTR" indicates a Long Term Release. Detailed changelogs are available for releases 2.0 and later.[18]

QGIS Version History
Version Codename Release Date Notes
0.0.1-alpha 2002-07 First public release.
1.0 Kore 2009-01-05
2.0 Dufour 2013-09-08 New vector API, integration of SEXTANTE geoprocessing, symbology and labeling overhaul.  Dropped "Quantum" from the name.
3.0 Girona 2018-02-23 Significant rewrite, upgrading to Qt5, PyQt5, and Python 3.
3.2 Bonn 2018-06-22
3.4 LTR Madeira 2018-10-26
3.6 Noosa 2019-02-22
3.8 Zanzibar 2019-06-21
3.10 LTR A Coruña 2019-10-25
3.12 Bucureşti 2020-02-21
3.14 Pi 2020-06-19 New temporal controller.
3.16 LTR Hannover 2020-10-23
3.18 Zürich 2021-02-19
3.20 Odense 2021-06-18
3.22 LTR Białowieża 2021-10-22
3.24 Tisler 2022-02-18
3.26 Buenos Aires 2022-06-17 Improved pointcloud and 3D support. New profile plotting framework.
3.28 LTR Firenze 2022-10-21
3.30 's-Hertogenbosch 2023-03-03
3.32 Lima 2023-06-23
3.34 LTR Prizren 2023-10-27
3.36 Maidenhead 2024-02-23

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Release 3.36.2". 19 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "QGIS Official Website". QGIS. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Download QGIS". www.qgis.org. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  4. ^ "QGIS project README file". github.com/qgis. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  5. ^ Gray, James (2008-03-26). "Getting Started With Quantum GIS". Linux Journal.
  6. ^ a b c Cavallini, Paolo (August 2007). "Free GIS desktop and analyses: QuantumGIS, the easy way". The Global Geospatial Magazine.
  7. ^ OSGeo (February 2008). "OSGeo Annual Report 2007".
  8. ^ Tim Sutton (January 23, 2009). "Announcing the release of QGIS 1.0 'Kore'". Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  9. ^ "Changelog for QGIS 2.0 - Quantum GIS is now known only as 'QGIS'". QGIS. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Project details for Quantum GIS - Quantum GIS 0.9.0". Freshmeat. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  11. ^ a b "Download QGIS". QGIS.org. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  12. ^ "Commercial support". www.qgis.org. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  13. ^ "QGIS Server Guide/Manual — QGIS Documentation documentation". docs.qgis.org. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  14. ^ "QGIS related repositories on GitHub - NSA". GitHub. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  15. ^ "The Economist". view.e.economist.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  16. ^ "QuantumGIS (QGIS) – freie GIS-Software". Land Vorarlberg. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  17. ^ "QGIS related repositories on GitHub - LINZ". GitHub. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Visual Changelogs". www.qgis.org. Retrieved 2022-07-16.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to QGIS.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=QGIS&oldid=1214715461"