QGIS

QGIS (until 2013 known as Quantum GIS[2]) is a free and open-source cross-platform desktop geographic information system (GIS) application that supports viewing, editing, and analysis of geospatial data.[3]

QGIS
QGIS 2.2 showing the redesigned menus.
Developer(s)QGIS Development Team
Initial releaseJuly 2002 (2002-07)
Stable release3.16.3 "Hannover" (January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15)[1]) [±]
Preview releaseNone [±]
Repository
Written inC++, Python, Qt
PlatformWindows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android(beta)
Available inMultilingual
TypeGeographic information system
LicenseGNU GPLv2
Websiteqgis.org/en/site/

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.[3] QGIS supports both raster and vector layers; 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, coverages, personal geodatabases, dxf, MapInfo, PostGIS, and other formats.[4] Web services, including Web Map Service and Web Feature Service, are also supported to allow use of data from external sources.[5]

QGIS integrates with other open-source GIS packages, including PostGIS, GRASS GIS, and MapServer.[5] 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.

Development

Gary Sherman began development of Quantum GIS in early 2002, and it became an incubator project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation in 2007.[6] Version 1.0 was released in January 2009.[7]

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.[2]

Written in C++, QGIS makes extensive use of the Qt library.[5] 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.[8]

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.[9] A mobile version of QGIS was under development for Android as of 2014.[10]

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.

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.[11]

Function

Layers

QGIS can display multiple layers containing different sources or depictions of sources.

Preparing maps
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

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.

Adoption

Many public and private organizations have adopted QGIS, including:

Releases
Screenshot of QGIS 2.8 Wien
Version Codename Release date Significant changes
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.1-alpha July 2002 Import and view data from PostGIS[15]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.3-alpha 10 August 2002 Added support for shapefiles and other vector formats.[15]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.4-alpha 15 August 2002 Improvements in layers handling, colorize layers, and view properties in a dialog box.[15]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.5-alpha 5 October 2002 Bug fixes and improved stability, ability to set line widths, and improved zoom in/out functionality.[15]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.6 24 November 2002 Improvements to PostGIS connections, layer identify function added, and ability to view and sort attribute tables.[15]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.7 30 November 2002 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.8 11 December 2002 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.9 25 January 2003 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.10 13 May 2003 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.11 10 June 2003 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.12 10 June 2003 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.0.13 8 December 2003 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.1pre1 14 February 2004 Added support for raster data; single, continuous, and graduated shading for vector data; ability to create buffers, implemented as a PostGIS plugin.[17][18]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.1 Moroz 25 February 2004 [16]
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.2 Pumpkin 26 April 2004
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.3 Madison 28 May 2004
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.4 Baby 4 July 2004
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.5 Bandit 5 October 2004
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.6 Simon 19 December 2004
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.7 Seamus
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.7.3 11 October 2005
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.8 Joesephine 7 January 2007
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.8.1 Titan 15 June 2007
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.0 26 October 2007
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.1 Ganymede 6 January 2008
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.10 Io 3 May 2008
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.11 Metis 21 July 2008
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.0 Kore 5 January 2009
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.1 Pan 12 May 2009
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.2 Daphnis 1 September 2009
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.3 Mimas 20 September 2009
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.4 Enceladus 10 January 2010
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.5 Tethys 29 July 2010
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.6 Copiapó 27 November 2010
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.7 Wrocław 19 June 2011
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.8 Lisboa 21 June 2012 "Mojibake" in Japanese environment.
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.0 Dufour 8 September 2013 New vector API, integration of SEXTANTE geoprocessor, symbology and labeling overhaul. Renamed to QGIS.
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.2 Valmiera 22 February 2014 2.2 changelog[19]
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.4 Chugiak 27 June 2014 2.4 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.6 Brighton 1 November 2014 2.6 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.8 LTR Wien 20 February 2015 2.8 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.10 Pisa 26 June 2015 2.10 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.12 Lyon 23 October 2015 2.12 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.14 LTR Essen 29 February 2016 2.14 changelog; latest point release = 2.14.22 from 20 January 2018
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.16 Nødebo 8 July 2016 2.16 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.18 LTR Las Palmas 21 October 2016 Final release in the 2.x series.[20] Based on Qt4, Python 2.7. Latest point release = 2.18.28 from 18 January 2019. 2.18 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.0 Girona 23 February 2018 Based on Qt5, PyQt5, and Python 3.[21] Latest point release = 3.0.3 from 18 May 2018. 3.0 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.2 Bonn 22 June 2018 3.2 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.4 LTR Madeira 26 October 2018 3.4 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.6 Noosa 22 February 2019 3.6 changelog
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.8 Zanzibar 21 June 2019 3.8 changelog[22]
Older version, yet still maintained: 3.10 LTR A Coruña 25 October 2019 3.10 changelog[23]
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.12 București 21 February 2020 3.12 changelog[24]
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.14 Pi 19 June 2020 3.14 changelog[25]
Current stable version: 3.16 Hannover 23 October 2020 3.16 changelog[26]
Future release: 3.18 TBD 19 February 2021
Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future release

References
  1. "Releases - qgis/QGIS". Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via GitHub.
  2. "Changelog for QGIS 2.0 - Quantum GIS is now known only as 'QGIS'". QGIS. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  3. "QGIS Official Website". QGIS. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  4. Gray, James (2008-03-26). "Getting Started With Quantum GIS". Linux Journal.
  5. Cavallini, Paolo (August 2007). "Free GIS desktop and analyses: QuantumGIS, the easy way". The Global Geospatial Magazine.
  6. OSGeo (February 2008). "OSGeo Annual Report 2007".
  7. Tim Sutton (January 23, 2009). "Announcing the release of QGIS 1.0 'Kore'". Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  8. "Project details for Quantum GIS - Quantum GIS 0.9.0". Freshmeat. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  9. "Download QGIS". QGIS.org. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  10. "QGIS for Android". Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  11. "Commercial support". www.qgis.org. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  12. "QGIS related repositories on GitHub - NSA". GitHub. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  13. "QuantumGIS (QGIS) – freie GIS-Software". Land Vorarlberg. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  14. "QGIS related repositories on GitHub - LINZ". GitHub. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  15. "QGIS Change Log". Open Source Geospatial Foundation. 2004-03-09. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  16. http://svn.osgeo.org/qgis/branches/Dataprovider_overhaul-branch/qgis/ChangeLog
  17. "README for QGIS version 0.1pre1 'Moroz'". Open Source Geospatial Foundation. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  18. "Quantum GIS 0.1pre1 (Development)". Freshmeat News. Freshmeat. 2004-02-14. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  19. Fischer, Jürgen E. "Announcing the release of QGIS 2.2". OSGeo.org. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  20. "Changelog for QGIS 2.18". QQIS.org. October 21, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  21. Sutton, Tim (January 17, 2016). "Help us to plan for QGIS 3.0". QGIS.org. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  22. "3.8 changelog". changelog.qgis.org.
  23. "3.10 changelog". changelog.qgis.org.
  24. "3.12 changelog". changelog.qgis.org.
  25. "3.14 changelog". changelog.qgis.org.
  26. "3.16 changelog". changelog.qgis.org.
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