/*! \mainpage OGR Simple Feature Library

The OGR Simple Features Library is a C++ open source library (and commandline 
tools) providing read (and sometimes write) access to a variety of vector file 
formats including ESRI Shapefiles, S-57, SDTS, PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, 
and Mapinfo mid/mif and TAB formats.<p>

OGR is a part of the <a href="http://www.gdal.org/">GDAL</a> library.<p>

<h2>Resources</h2>

<ul>

<li> <a href="ogr_formats.html">OGR Supported Formats</a>

<li> <a href="ogr_utilities.html">OGR Utility Programs</a>

<li> <a href="hierarchy.html">OGR Class Documentation</a>

<li> <a href="ogr_apitut.html">OGR C++ API Read/Write Tutorial</a>

<li> <a href="ogr__api_8h.html">ogr_api.h</a>: OGR C API

<li> <a href="osr_tutorial.html">OGR Projections Tutorial</a>

<li> <a href="ogr_arch.html">OGR Architecture</a>

<li> <a href="ogr_sql.html">OGR SQL</a>

<li> <a href="ogr_feature_style.html">OGR - Feature Style Specification</a>

<li> <a href="sfc_tutorial.html">SFC (OLE DB client side API) 
Tutorial</a>

<li> <a href="http://pobox.com/~warmerdam/projects/opengis/twohalfdsf.html">Adam's 2.5 D Simple Features Proposal (OGC 99-402r2)</a>

<li> Adam's SRS WKT Clarification Proposal in <a href="http://pobox.com/~warmerdam/projects/opengis/wkt_prop.html">html</a>
or <a href="http://pobox.com/~warmerdam/projects/opengis/wkt_prop.doc">doc</a> format.

</ul>

<h2>Download</h2>

<h3>Ready to Use Executables</h3>

The best way to get OGR <a href="ogr_utilities.html">utilities</a>
in ready-to-use form is to download the latest 
<a href="http://fwtools.maptools.org/">FWTools</a> kit
for your platform.  While large, these include builds of the OGR utilities
with lots of optional components built-in.  Once downloaded follow the 
included instructions to setup your path and other environment variables
correctly, and then you can use the various OGR utilities from the command 
line.  The kits also include <a href="http://openev.sf.net/">OpenEV</a>, 
a viewer that will display OGR supported vector files.<p>

<h3>Source</h3>

The source code for this effort is intended to be available as OpenSource
using an X Consortium style license.  The OGR library is currently a 
loosely coupled subcomponent of the 
<a href="http://www.gdal.org/">GDAL</a> library, so you get all
of GDAL for the price of OGR, though you can build and use just the OGR 
components.  See the <a href="http://www.gdal.org/">GDAL</a> 
page for the most recently released source including 
<a href="http://gdal.maptools.org/dl/daily">nightly CVS snapshots</a>. 
<p>

<h2>Bug Reporting</h2>

OGR bugs <a href="http://bugzilla.remotesensing.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=GDAL&component=OGR_SF">can  be entered</a>, and  <a href="http://bugzilla.remotesensing.org/buglist.cgi?product=GDAL">can be  listed</a> using BugZilla.
<p>

<h2>Mailing List</h2>

The <a href="mailto:gdal-dev@lists.maptools.org">gdal-dev@lists.maptools.org</a> 
mailing list can be used for discussion of development and user issues related 
to OGR and related technologies. Subscriptions can be done, and archives 
reviewed <a href="http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/listinfo/gdal-dev/">on
the web</a>.<p>

<h2>Alternative Bindings for the OGR API</h2>

In addition to the C++ API primarily addressed in the online documentation,
there is also a slightly less complete C API implemented on top of the C++
API, and access available from Python.<p>

The C API is primarily intended to provide a less fragile API since slight
changes in the C++ API (such as const correctness changes) can cause changes
in method and class signatures that prevent use of new DLLs with older clients.
The C API is also generally easy to call from other languages which allow call
out to DLLs functions, such as Visual Basic, or Delphi. The API can be
explored in the <a href="ogr__api_8h.html">ogr_api.h</a> include file.  
The gdal/ogr/ogr_capi_test.c is a small sample program demonstrating use
of the C API.<p>

The Python API isn't really well documented at this time, but parallels the
C/C++ APIs.  The interface classes can be browsed in the pymod/ogr.py
(simple features) and pymod/osr.py
(coordinate systems) python modules.  The pymod/samples/assemblepoly.py
sample script is one demonstration of using the python API.<p>

<h2>OGR and OpenGIS Simple Features for OLE DB</h2>

With the support of <a href="http://www.softmaptech.com/">SoftMap</a> and
<a href="http://www.safe.com/">Safe Software</a> some
associates and I have implemented an OLE DB provider on top of OGR, attempting
to adhere to the OpenGIS Simple Features for COM specification to the
extent possible.  This implementation is not certified as compliant with 
the OpenGIS specification.<p>

While OGR can be used via the OLE DB interface, it can also just be called
directly as a C++ library.  OGR attempts to provide an OpenGIS Simple 
Features inspired terminology and view of datasets even when used in this 
fashion.  Note that there is no OpenGIS specification for a C or C++ 
interface.<p>

OGR stands for "OGR"... its meaning is irrelevant today.  The original
name for the lib was "OpenGIS Simple Features Reference Implementation"
and that's where OGR comes from.  However, since OGR is not fully
compliant with the Simple Feature specification and is not approved as a
reference implementation of the spec the name was changed to "OGR Simple
Features Library" ... and the only meaning of OGR in this name is
historical.  "OGR" is also the prefix used everywhere in the source of
the library for class names, filenames, etc.<p>

<h2>Acknowledgements</h2>

I would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their
contributions.<p>

<ul>

<li> <a href="http://www.softmaptech.com/">SoftMap</a> for their funding for
the implementation of most work so far.<P>

<li> <a href="http://www.safe.com/">Safe Software</a> for their funding for
the client side classes as part of implementing a simple features reader
for FME, and supporting implmentaton of the S-57, TIGER/Line, SDTS and NTF 
drivers.<p>

<li> Ned Harding of <a href="http://www.extendthereach.com/">SRC</a> for
funding the Oracle Spatial driver.<p>

<li> Adam Gawne-Cain, and Martin Daly of
<a href="http://www.cadcorp.co.uk">Cadcorp</a>
whose groundbreaking SFCOM implementation made mine possible, and
for answering so many of my annoying questions.<p>

<li> <a href="http://pages.infinit.net/danmo/">Daniel Morissette</a> for 
his key contributions to CPL library, and development of the Mapinfo TAB
translator.<p>

<li> Ken Shih for the vast bulk of the implementation of the OLE DB provider.
<p>

<li> Stephane Villeneuve for development of the Mapinfo MIF translator.<p>

<li> Hartmut Kaiser of Deutsche PhoneSat AG for making me realize that
ATL can be my friend.<p>

</ul>

*/
