DicoGIS: the 3-clic geodata dictionary

Or how to easily get detailed and structured information about its GIS data in a few minutes. Introducing a simple tool without any pretention except give a hand to GIS fellows to manage data.

DicoGIS - Animated demonstration

In a nutshell

DicoGIS creates an Excel workbook (2003) with technical metadata gathered from geographic data (files and PostGIS database). Available as a Python script (see requirements below) or as a Windows executable without installation required, so you can use take it on a USB device for example.

DicoGIS - Logo

Some useful cases:

  • you receive a dark database of files and you would like to know what there’s inside;

  • before you deliver your geographic data to a non-specialist superior / colleague / client / partner / alien you want to give a description of data trasmitted, just because it’s a good practice and you are a good GIS person.

Technical specifications

Formats handled are potentially the entire list of GDAL and OGR but for now I just implemented these ones:

  • vectors: shapefile, MapInfo tables, GeoJSON, GML, KML

  • rasters: ECW, GeoTIFF, JPEG

  • “flat” databases: Esri File GDB, Spatialite

  • CAD: DWG (only listing), DXF

  • Map documents: Geospatial PDF

DicoGIS is localized in 3 languages (Français, Anglais et Espagnol) but every one can add a translation or custom the existing texts/labels.

Talking about perforamnces, it’s always very dependant on the computer but to give an idea, it needs 30 seconds for:

  • 40 vectors,

  • 10 rasters (which represent like 90 Mo in total),

  • 7 FileGDB contenant sixty vectors,

  • and some DXF.

How to use it

  1. Download the latest version:

  2. Unzip it and launch DicoGIS.exe / dicogis/dicogis.py

    DicoGIS - Launch

  3. Switch language as you need

    DicoGIS - Switch language

  4. Depending on the kind of data you want to list:

    • For files:

      1. Pick the parent folder where you data is stored: listing starts and progress bar is moving until the end of listing

      2. Choose the expected formats

      DicoGIS - Listing

    • For PostgreSQL / PostGIS (database), it’s more or less the same story but you have to give the connection settings:

      DicoGIS - Processing PostGIS

  5. Launch and wait: save the output file where you want.

    DicoGIS - Processing files

  6. Have a look to the output file and apply some Excel enhancements (convert to a newer version if you have, use a default style, etc.)

Optionnaly, check the log file DicoGIS.log (there is a lot of information inside it, believe me ^^).

What about the results?

The output workbook contains technical metadata about the data found, organized in tabs corresponding on the type of data. Have a look to the matrix I did to see what information according the formats.