Running QGIS processing

WPS input/output layer mapping

With QGIS desktop , QGIS processing algorithms usually apply on a QGIS source project and computed layers are displayed in the same context as the source project.

Py-qgis-wps works the same way: a qgis project will be used as a source of input layers. The difference is that, when an algorithm runs, it creates a qgis project file associated to the current task and register computed layers to it.

The created project may be used as OWS source with QGIS Server. Output layers are returned as complex objects holding a reference to a WMS/WFS uri that can be used directly with QGIS server. The uri template is configurable using the server/wms_response_uri configuration setting.

Contextualized input parameters

Tasks parameters are contextualized using the MAP query param. If a MAP parameters is given when doing a DescripProcess requests, allowed values for input layers will be taken from the qgis source project according the type of the input layers.

QGIS project (.qgs) files and project stored in Postgres databases are both supported.

The best practice is to always provide a MAP parameters and include the possible input layer in a qgs project. This way you may connect whatever data source supported by qgis and use them as input data in a safe way.

If you need to pass data to your algorithm from client-side, prefer inputs file parameter and small payloads.

Exposing processing algorithms

The processing provider modules are searched in the path given by the PROCESSING_PROVIDERS_MODULE_PATH config variable.

Processing providers following the same rules as QGIS regular plugin with a special factory entrypoint: WPSClassFactory(iface) in the __init__.py file.

The metadata.txt file

As regular QGIS plugin, a metadata.txt file must be present with a special entry wps=True indicating that the plugin is available as a WPS service provider.

Registering providers

The iface parameter is a instance of WPSServerInterface which provide a registerProvider( provider: QgsAlgorithmProvider, expose: bool = True) -> Any method.

Exposed providers as WPS services must be registered using the registerProvider method.

Example:

def WPSClassFactory(iface: WPSServerInterface) -> Any:

    from TestAlgorithmProvider1 import  AlgorithmProvider1
    from TestAlgorithmProvider2 import  AlgorithmProvider2

    iface.registerProvider( AlgorithmProvider1() )
    iface.registerProvider( AlgorithmProvider2() )

Using scripts and models

Py-qgis-wps works with scripts and models. First creates a models/ and a scripts/ directory in the folder given by the PROCESSING_PROVIDERS_MODULE_PATH option.

Your processing module directory should be something like:

<PROCESSSING_PROVIDERS_MODULE_PATH>/
|
|- models/
|    |
|    \- <your `.model3` files here>
|
\- scripts/
     |
     \- <your `.py` scripts here>

Then simple drop your .model3 in the models/ folder and the python scripts in the scripts/ folder. After restarting the workers you should see the corresponding algorithms in the list of published WPS jobs.

Controlling what is exposed

Processing algorithm with the flag FlagHideFromToolbox set will not be exposed as WPS process.

Parameters with the flag FlagHidden set wont be exposed in a DescribeProcess request.

Publishing WPS results with py-qgis-server

The server/wms_response_uri configuration default to wps_results:

Py-qgis-server can access to the wps results by defining a custom scheme alias. that links the wps data to the wps server workdir configuration wms_response_uri.

Example:

# Py-qgis-wps configuration.
[server]
workdir = /path/to/wps/results

# Py-qgis-server configuration
# Bind the scheme 'wps_results:' to the wps output directory
[projects.schemes]
wps_results = /path/to/wps/results

Reloading providers

Providers may be reloaded gracefully using the SERVER_RESTARTMON option. This allow for updating providers, models and scripts without interrupting the service.