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(Submission #333)
INSPIRE deadlines for all the INSPIRE spatial datasets to be conformant to Implementing Rules are approching fast and a growing demand for reference data validation tools has to be faced. The Abstract Test Suites in the INSPIRE Data Specifications define the set of abstract tests to be applied for dataset validation purposes, but currently no reference executable implementation of those abstract tests exsists, nor a commonly agreed European validator. Within this context, this paper describes the eENVplus Validation Service, an online tool for the validation of INSPIRE datasets, open source and freely available, built upon an OGC Test Suite, put in place with the aim of giving the data providers a solid reference for the validation of their datasets against INSPIRE requirements. The eENVplus Validation Service:
- provides an Executable Test Suite implementing the Abstract Test Suites (ATS) contained in the INSPIRE Data Specifications;
- is based on TEAM Engine, the official test harness used by the OGC compliance program (CITE), and on the customized use of the GML 3.2 (ISO 19136:2007) Conformance Test Suite, the free testing facility developed by OGC as part of the CITE;
- goes far beyond the mere ‘schema validation’ provided by most validation tools. In the eENVplus Validation Service, in fact, datasets are tested not only against requirements defined in the addressed application schemas, but as well against other requirements of the INSPIRE Data Specifications, such as those concerning geometry, coordinate reference systems and overall respect of the ISO 19136 standard;
- it provides a schematron library to check INSPIRE theme-specific constraints not encoded in the application schemas;
- validation rules a and test methods are publicly available so that the user can know what their datasets are validated against and how;
- provides step by step introductory guide to INSPIRE data validation process and ATS tests by means of html pages;
- provides manual guidelines to execute those ATS tests that cannot be automated i.e. executed by means of software tools;
- provides helpful tips on most frequently encontered validation failures and well known issues;
- enables the validation of xsds e.g. INSPIRE extended schemas used as target schemas in data transformation processes;
- is freely accessible via web browser or via REST APIs. The eENVplus Validation Service is being intensively used by several EU projects, national public autohrities and private organizations.
Topic Area: [2.2] Technologies and tools required to deliver INSPIRE Abstract Type: Oral Presentation
Comments: data validation, schematron, gml, ogc, ATS, ETS
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