Editing Shape Files

[John Randolph]

Hello all!

Here's another question. So suppose I create a shapefile on a desktop
application, and then upload it to World Map for use as a layer. I
then edit that layer -- adding a few point locations with associated
data, for example. Is it then somehow possible to download the layer
(again as a shapefile) so I can work on it on my desktop application
again, with the new data (added online via world map) still there?

To put all the cards on the table, here's what I want to do. I have a
set of point-related data about postal stations. I'd like to map it
with the assistance of your 1827 georeferenced Russian Empire map.
But I have a number of associated attribute fields, going beyond the 6
specified in World Map, so I think what I want to do is create a shape
file with the right attribute fields, upload that to World Map, plot
the locations (and maybe enter the data) and then bring the shapefile
back off the cloud so I can do some analysis and some finer styling of
the resulting images. Can that be done?

I guess the most basic question is : can shapefiles only go one way --
that is, up to World Map? Or can they come back down again, after
having been edited?

Thanks so much!

John

[Ben Lewis]

Hi John,
Shapefiles can go both ways.  You can upload, then edit, then download a shapefile if you want.  Just right click on the layer you want to download and then Properties, then About tab, then Share Layer link, then upper right on Layer page you will see many formats available for download.
 --Ben

[John Randolph]

Thanks for this, Ben!

So I went ahead and created a good shapefile in QGIS, with the right
projection, etc. It seems to have successfully uploaded to World Map,
under the name 'Russian Posts 1719'. But when I try to add this to a
map, I get the following error code:

Cod=LayerNotDefined Could not find layer GeoNode, russianposts1719_Qd8

Any thoughts on what's going on here? Is this some sort of problem
with a file generated in QGIS, or is it some sort of other problem?

Thanks!

John

[John Randolph]

So I fiddled around this a little more, and eventually came to the
conclusion I have no idea what's the problem. :-) I don't think it's
QGIS. Any help you may be able to provide would be grand!

[Ben Lewis]

Hi John,

Did you upload from the "Add Layers" button, "Upload Layer" tab in a new map you created by clicking "Create a Map" on the front page at http://worldmap.harvard.edu?  If so the layer should load to your map.  

After clicking "Upload Layer" tab you will fill out the form, either choosing a zipped shape file with all the parts in it (shp, dbf, shx, prj) or selecting those parts individually, then putting something for the abstract and keyword, agree to the terms, and click upload.  You will then get a form back.  The only addition thing you absolutely need to add is the category down at the bottom of the form, then click submit.  (Please use this form to describe your data as well as you can.  It will make your data much more valuable both to you and to any others you choose to share it with.)  The layer should then load to your map.  

In addition to this forum, please also make sure you check the help docs (link at upper right of map and also here: http://worldmap.harvard.edu/site_media/docs/WorldMap_Help.pdf for any part of the system you want to learn about. 

And there are some other help sources here including a getting started video http://about.worldmap.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k28501&pageid=icb.page480838 

Best,

 --Ben

[John Randolph]

Thanks Ben,

I'll continue this on the thread in case it's useful for future users.

So I did actually do everything exactly as you just described:
creating a map, uploading a layer after clicking add layers, selecting
the individual portions of the shape file, and so on.

After having done all that, the layer "loads" by placing a big white
rectangle over top the map, in which rectangle is inscribed the error
message I pasted in above, about the missing GeoNode.

I'll check the supporting documentation, and get back to you if I find
anything. Thanks!

John

[John Randolph]

Okay, I think I figured out what the problem seems to be.

After the file is uploaded, as the user is entering various
description information, there's a series of automatically generated
fields called "Distribution URL" and one other one like it. They both
call the file "geonode: & etc." referenced in the error message given
above. But no such field has been generated. And so when World Map
goes to use the layer, an error message is returned.

I created a test shapefile, uploaded it, and deleted those calls to
geonode when entering the file's description. This seems to have fixed
the problem.

In short, it looks (from this end) that there's a bit of a bug
involving automatically generated references to non-existent files,
that then cause a problem when a user uploads a self-generated
ShapeFile (from outside the Harvard system? maybe that's the problem).

Anyways, it seems (I'll verify) that having deleted the fields, I can
work more or less normally and things look fine.

[Matt Bertrand]

Hi John,

Any chance you may have set the view permissions for the layer to
'Registered users only' or 'Only users who can edit' when you uploaded
the shapefile? WorldMap uses a modified version of GeoServer to
display layers and handle layer security - there seems to be a bug
there that occasionally causes all layers with restricted view
permissions to become unviewable to anyone, even the layer owner,
until GeoServer is restarted. I noticed that was occurring this
morning.

-Matt