Adding new configuration options

Extending Configuration Files
1. Figure out how to Extend a Configuration File
2. Submit Idea to the Email Lists
Extending GeoServer Configuration
1. Data Transfer Objects
  1. Data Transfer Object Extension
2. XMLConfigReader
  1. Optimization
3. Updating GeoServer
4. XMLConfigWriter
Extending Configuration User Interface
1. Config
2. ActionForm (or FormBean)
3. Action
4. Java Server Pages
5. ApplicationResources
Extending GeoServer Application
1. GeoServer Framework (Request/Response/AbstractService)
2. Java Server Pages
3. Struts (Action)

This document provides a detailed walkthrough on how to add your own information to the GeoServer configuration system.

A quick checklist for those that never read the whole document:

Configuration files can be added to without problem
The new configuration information must be optional
Write up a propsal to the email list for review/comment:

Be sure to include:
name: name of configuration information
description: what the information is needed for
xml fragment: example extention to an existing configuration file
Wait for a sanity check from a project lead, or at least a biz day.
Extend a configuraiton file
Extend appropriate DTO class, along with XMLReader and XMLWriter
Update appropriate class in global
Update appropriate class in config, along with form and jsp

Note duplication of information is never cool: if you have one watch you know what time it is, if you have two watches you are never quite sure. This is most often a problem with schema.xml. XMLSchema is so powerful, and so difficult to parse, that we often wish for an easier way.

The GeoServer configuration system, is not so much a starting point for your GeoServer development as an ending point. Welcome to the final leg of your GeoServer developement, we thank you for your support.