Simplify and bring consistency to layer types (icons, menus choices, etc.) for end user

[qgib]

Author Name: Kory Roberts (Kory Roberts)
Original Redmine Issue: 17966

Redmine category:gui

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Why does QGIS have so many top level choices for layer types, with all these icons and menu choices? It's really confusing and overwhelming for those newer to GIS/QGIS. Why can't Add layer basically be limited to something simple: Add vector layer, Add raster layer, and that's it?...specific choices (file, directory, database, virtual, etc) should be handled at a second step. But right now, the GUI and arrangement of forms, particularly in the Data Source Manager, seems really inconsistent between each and every format/protocol.

For example, aren't WMS, WCS, WFS, ArcGIS, etc. pretty much managed the same way?...i.e. provide a URL from a data provider? Couldn't QGIS be smarter about figuring out the protocol on its own from a user-supplied URL? I've been using QGIS for quite awhile now and literally just figured out how to add GeoJSON data. My logic would have me think GeoJSON should be listed along with WMS, WCS, etc, but it's entered in a completely different place! Similar story for databases; these seem like they could be more smartly handled by QGIS and in a shared Data Source Manager form rather than 3 separate ones that are (nearly) identical.

At the least, why can't data source formats/protocols be easily turned off/on by the user (some less common formats off by default)? If I'm never going to use a PostGIS database, for example, why can't I turn off that data type so it isn't showing up all over the place with icons and menu choices I'll never use?

In short, too many initial choices, too "scattered" and confusing, too many inconsistencies in handling, too little "smart management" by QGIS, too intimidating to new users, in regards to all of the various layer types available.

[qgib]

Author Name: Jürgen Fischer (@jef-n)

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This isn't a concrete feature request. Better discuss this on the mailing list.

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• resolution was changed from to worksforme
• status_id was changed from Open to Closed

[qgib]

Author Name: Harrissou Santanna (@DelazJ)

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These are indeed very good questions that maybe are worth discussing in lists (for a wider audience rather than issue report)
FYI, there had been a discussion (http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Are-there-plans-to-create-a-unique-quot-Add-layer-quot-tool-td5315336.html) that led to this data source manager which, from what I understood is a first step to the unique load button. I can't really tell how it'd evolve but you may need to read the linked discussion and related decisions taken in order to have a better and global view of the design. and maybe you'll have some answers or find useful to propose another option(s).