GSIP 184

GSIP 184 - Promote MBStyle Styling to Extension

Overview

Proposed By

Jody Garnett (GeoCat) is proposing this activity to better support our GeoCat Bridge customers and the combination of GeoServer and Vector Tiles.

Note this proposal uses "MBStyle" to avoid making use of MapBox trademark.

Assigned to Release

This proposal is for GeoServer 2.17-beta.

State

• Under Discussion
• In Progress
• Completed
• Rejected
• Deferred

Motivation

The Vector Tile extension for GeoServer is a popular way to generate tiles for use in MapBox.GL or OpenLayers.

The MBStyle extension is a great addition to this workflow, enabling the same styling for both client side and server side.

Proposal

Preflight check:

• Proposal to GeoTools PMC to take mbstyle unsupported module to plugin status.

  • Move GeoServer "Specification" docs to GeoTools user manual.

Proposal covers:

1. Moving the module from community to extension in the build system.

2. Updating the website template to make the extension available.

3. Updating the pom.xml contract information.

4. Updating documentation for this extension:

   • Remove removing duplication of specification, provide a link to GeoTools docs
   • Maintain Reference Manual in GeoServer

Backwards Compatibility

Feedback

The Mapbox Style Specification is quite active ("unstable" by design). During life as a community module we have seen expression support added (deprecating filter in the process). Staying "current" is likely to require ongoing effort, interest and investment.

On the positive side the standard is documented with these concerns in mind, each feature being marked as available in Mapbox GL JS, Android SDK, iOS SDK, or macOS SDK. Our own copy of the documentation reflects this approach indicating what capabilities are supported.

The standard is "open specification" in that it is freely available to read. Stepping back it is of concern that the standard is now formally part of Mapbox GL JS documentation (and no longer maintained neutral to a specific SDK). MapBox spec is no longer standalone and subject to weekly updates. This tends to imply the standard will change more over time, and become more of a "boutique" document over time as it aligns with the needs of a specific library.

Voting

Project Steering Committee:

• Alessio Fabiani:
• Andrea Aime:
• Ian Turton:
• Jody Garnett:
• Jukka Rahkonen:
• Kevin Smith:
• Simone Giannecchini:
• Torben Barsballe:
• Nuno Oliveira:

Links

• Style Specification (Mapbox GL JS)
• Mapbox Style Specification (GeoTools User Manual)
• [Mapbox Style Specification]{https://docs.geoserver.org/latest/en/user/styling/mbstyle/reference/spec.html) (GeoServer User Guide)
• MBStyle Styling (User Guide)
• MBStyle Styling Workbook
• GeoTools / GeoServer Meeting 2019-03-01