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Key Concepts

Gino Miceli edited this page Jul 11, 2019 · 27 revisions

The following key concepts are visible to the user. Implementation details are excluded from this page for brevity.

Project

A data collection project, consisting of a map with a title, description, sharing options, configuration, and the data described below.

Layers

Layers are collections of vector map features (points, lines, and polygons) show on the map. They are defined by and controlled by managers, who can do any or all of the following:

  • Import a set of "predefined" features into a layer in bulk when setting up the project.
  • Configure each layer to allow contributors to add their own points, lines, and/or polygons to the layer.
  • Define a default style (marker and color) to be used when new features are added by contributors or in bulk by managers (e.g., imported from CSV).

Layers were previously referred to as Feature types. The two are still roughly synonymous, but their usage may diverge over time given they have slightly different scopes.

Form layout

For each layer, managers may optionally design a form to be used by contributors for providing observations about features in that layer.

Features

Point, lines, or polygons in layer, e.g. “Household @ location X,Y”, “Forest plot 145-876”. Each includes a geometry (location, shape) and zero or more observations. Feature may be added to a layer by contributors and/or loaded in bulk by project managers.

Observations

Data about a particular feature, gathered by contributors using the form provided by the project manager.

Observations were previously referred to as Records. This may still exist in some code and documentation; the two are synonymous.

User roles

The following roles are defined per project unless otherwise stated.

Owner

The original creator of a project. Project owners are also automatically assigned the Manager role.

Note: Features and observations are also assigned an owner upon creation.

Managers

Can access all project configuration and sharing options for a specific project. In addition, they can do anything contributors can do, therefore all mentions of actions done by contributors also implicitly includes managers.

Contributors

Depending on project sharing and layer options specified by managers, contributors can add features and/or observations to existing map layers.

Contributor can not change project configuration (layers, forms, sharing, etc.). Only managers can determine whether contributors may add new features and/or add observations for existing features.

Contributors can modify features and observations they own (i.e., ones they themselves added), but not those of others.

Viewers

Read-only access to entire project. The manager can also set projects as public, making anyone (including anonymous users) and owner.

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