pygeometa is a Python package to generate metadata for geospatial datasets.

• Overview
• Features
• Quickstart
• Installation
  • Requirements
  • Dependencies
  • Installing the Package
• Running
  • From the command line
  • Using the API from Python
• Development
  • Setting up a Development Environment
  • Adding Another Metadata Schema to the Core
  • Running Tests
  • Code Conventions
  • Bugs and Issues
• History
• Contact

pygeometa is a Python package to generate metadata for geospatial datasets. Metadata content is managed by pygeometa in simple Metadata Control Files (MCF) which consist of 'parameter = value' pairs. pygeometa generates metadata records from MCF files based on the schema specified by the user, such as ISO-19139. pygeometa supports nesting MCF files, which reduces duplication of metadata content common to multiple records and ease maintenance.

• simple configuration: inspired by Python's ConfigParser
• extensible: template architecture allows for easy addition of new metadata formats
• flexible: use as a command-line tool or integrate as a library

Workflow to generate metadata XML:

1. Install pygeometa
2. Create a 'metadata control file' .mcf file that contains metadata information
3. Modify the sample.mcf example
4. pygeometa supports nesting MCF files together, allowing providing a single MCF file for common metadata parameters (e.g. common contact information)
5. Refer to the Metadata Control File Reference documentation
6. Run pygeometa for the .mcf file with a specified target metadata schema

pygeometa is best installed and used within a Python virtualenv.

• Python 2.7 and above. Works with Python 3.
• Python virtualenv package

Dependencies are listed in requirements.txt. Dependencies are automatically installed during pygeometa's installation.

virtualenv my-env
cd my-env
. bin/activate
git clone https://github.com/geopython/pygeometa.git
cd pygeometa
pip install -r requirements.txt
python setup.py build
python setup.py install

generate_metadata.py --mcf=path/to/file.mcf --schema=iso19139  # to stdout
generate_metadata.py --mcf=path/to/file.mcf --schema=iso19139 --output some_file.xml  # to file
# to use your own defined schema:
generate_metadata.py --mcf=path/to/file.mcf --schema_local=/path/to/my-schema --output some_file.xml  # to file

Schemas supported by pygeometa:

• iso19139, reference
• iso19139-hnap, reference
• Local schema, specified with --schema_local=/path/to/my-schema

from pygeometa import render_template
# default schema
xml_string = render_template('/path/to/file.mcf', schema='iso19139')
# user-defined schema
xml_string = render_template('/path/to/file.mcf', schema_local='/path/to/new-schema')
with open('output.xml', 'w') as ff:
    ff.write(xml_string)

Same as installing a package. Use a virtualenv. Also install developer requirements:

pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

List of supported metadata schemas in pygeometa/templates/

To add support to new metadata schemas:

cp -r pygeometa/templates/iso19139 pygeometa/templates/new-schema

Then modify *.j2 files in the new pygeometa/templates/new-schema directory to comply to new metadata schema.

# via distutils
python setup.py test
# manually
cd tests
python run_tests.py

• PEP8

All bugs, enhancements and issues can be logged on SSC GitLab at https://github.com/geopython/pygeometa/issues

pygeometa originated within the pygdm project, which provided generic geospatial data management functions. pygdm (now at end of life) was used for generating MSC/CMC geospatial metadata. pygeometa was pulled out of pygdm to focus on the core requirement of generating geospatial metadata within a real-time environment.

In 2015 pygeometa was made publically available in support of the Treasury Board Policy on Acceptable Network and Device Use.

• Tom Kralidis
• Alexandre Leroux