MapGuide RFC 174 - Remove GD Renderer

This page contains a change request (RFC) for the MapGuide Open Source project. More MapGuide RFCs can be found on the RFCs page.

Status

RFC Template Version	(1.0)
Submission Date	13 Jun 2019
Last Modified	17 Jun 2019
Author	Jackie Ng
RFC Status	ready for review
Implementation Status	pending
Proposed Milestone	4.0
Assigned PSC guide(s)	(when determined)
Voting History	(vote date)
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Overview

This RFC proposes to remove the GD image renderer support from MapGuide.

Motivation

MapGuide current has 2 image-based map renderers:

• One using the GD library
• One using Anti-Grain Geometry (AGG) library

Since MapGuide Open Source 2.0, the AGG renderer has been the designated default image-based map renderer.

Although a serverconfig.ini setting exists to change this over to GD, it is unlikely that many users are actually aware of this setting (and would be using the GD renderer as a result).

To simplify the burden of maintenance and future image rendering enhancement work, we should focus on only a single image renderer going forward: The AGG renderer.

Proposed Solution

Remove the GD renderer from the Renderers project.

Where renderer names were being checked in the rendering service to determine GD/AGG renderer, remove such code paths and always assume the AGG renderer.

Remove the Renderer property from serverconfig.ini

This RFC does not remove our use of the GD library altogether. We will still retain the use of the GD library for image format conversions where needed.

Implications

The renderer name on any render profiling result will now always be "AGG"

Test Plan

Ensure all existing rendering tests still pass after GD renderer removal.

Funding / Resources

Community