Merge pull request 'Add readme' (#1) from feature/add_readme into main

Reviewed-on: #1
Reviewed-by: Koa Wells <kekoa.wells@concordia.ca>

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+**Project Developer: Alireza Adli**
+alireza.adli@mail.concordia.ca
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+[About mtl_gis_oo](#about-gispy)  
+[Building Cleanup Workflow](#workflowpy)
+[ScrubLayer](#scrublayer)  
+[Helpers](#helpers)
+[Config](#config)
+[ScrubMTL](#scrubmtl)
+[Setting up an environment to use standalone PyQGIS – How to import qgis.core](#setting-up)
+
+<a name="about-gispy"/>
+
+## About mtl_gis_oo
+
+This project automates the process of integrating and cleaning datasets related to Montreal buildings.
+It is the continuation of [hydroquebec_archetype_gispy](https://ngci.encs.concordia.ca/gitea/a_adli/hydroquebec_archetype_gispy). The project involves the following datasets:
+
+1. [NRCAN Building Footprints](https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/7a5cda52-c7df-427f-9ced-26f19a8a64d6)
+2. [Shared platform of geospatial data and aerial photographs (GeoIndex)](https://geoapp.bibl.ulaval.ca/)
+3. [Montreal Property Assesment Units](https://donnees.montreal.ca/dataset/unites-evaluation-fonciere)
+4. [Administrative boundaries of the agglomeration of Montréal (boroughs and related cities)](https://donnees.montreal.ca/dataset/limites-administratives-agglomeration)
+
+The original workflow was developed in ArcGIS by Kartikay Sharma (kartikay.sharma@concordia.ca). This workflow (link) involves steps such as fixing and clipping geometries, removing features from unnecessary parts of the map, splitting sections based on single building footprints, spatially joining datasets, and cleaning the data through processes such as removing duplicates, among others.
+
+GISPy integrates these processes and automates them so that users can update the dataset by running the workflow module (building_cleanup_workflow.py) after acquiring and defining the paths to the mentioned datasets.
+
+GISPy has been written using QGIS Python standalone libraries (PyQGIS). This set of libraries leverages the functionality of QGIS without needing to run the full QGIS desktop application. To use the environment, QGIS needs to be installed, and the environment must be set up ([Setting up an environment to use standalone PyQGIS – How to import qgis.core](#setting-up)).
+
+<a name="#scrublayer"/>
+
+## ScrubLayer
+
+This module is the essence of the mtl_gis_oo project. It encompasses required functionalities of PyQGIS as methods. Some other methods also have been added to use the functionalities in a specific way. For example, clip_by_multiply carry outs PyQGIS clipping using multiple overlay layers.
+
+<a name="#workflowpy"/>
+
+## Building Cleanup Workflow
+
+This is the process of cleaning and aggregating Montreal buildings datasets. This workflow is backed up by ScrubLayer. After defining the paths, running the module outputs the updated and integrated dataset (map layer).
+
+<a name="helpers"/>
+
+## Helpers
+
+The module contains several functions that cannot be defines as a method of ScrubLayer class but are useful and sometimes necessary for a method or a part of the workflow (building_cleanup_workflow.py).
+Creating folders, finding a type of files and merging layers are examples of the module's functionalities.
+
+<a name="config"/>
+
+## Config
+
+This module contains the QGIS installation path, and two dictionaries for holding input and output layers paths. The module will be modified completely to address paths in a general way instead of locally.
+
+<a name="scrubmtl"/>
+## ScrubMTL
+
+This module is not being used or developed right now.
+
+<a name="setting-up"/>
+
+## Setting up an environment to use standalone PyQGIS – How to import qgis.core
+
+To use PyQGIS without having the QGIS application run in the background, one needs to add the python path to the environment variables. Here is how to do it on Windows:
+
+1. Install QGIS
+
+2. Assign a specific name to the QGIS Python executable:
+   This is being done in order to access the QGIS Python from the command prompt without mixing with the system’s original Python installation(s).
+
+   a. Go to the QGIS installation directory’s Python folder. e.g. C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\Python39  
+   b. Rename the Python executable (python.exe) to a specific-desired name, e.g. pythonqgis.exe
+
+3. Updating the Path variables
+
+   a. Go to Environmental Variables (from Windows start)  
+   b. Click on Path and then click on Edit. Add the following paths:
+
+   > C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\Python39
+
+   c. Go back to the Environmental variables this time click on New and in New Variable box enter PYTHONPATH and in the Variable Value add the following paths (separate them with a colon). Some paths might be different. For example, apps\qgis can be apps\qgis-ltr.
+
+   > i. C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\qgis\python  
+   > ii. C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\qgis\python\plugins  
+   > iii. C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\Qt5\plugins  
+   > iv. C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\gdal\share\gdal  
+   > v. Or altogether: C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\qgis\python;C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\qgis\python\plugins;C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\Qt5\plugins;C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.1\apps\gdal\share\gdal
+
+4. Validate importing qgis.core
+
+   a. Open a command prompt window
+   b. Enter pythonqgis  
+   c. If the process has been done correctly, you won’t face any error.  
+   d. In the Python environment, import the package by:
+
+   > import qgis.core

building_cleanup_workflow.py

@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 handle_mtl_ds_workflow module
 The workflow of cleaning and updating the Montreal Buildings dataset.
 Project Developer: Alireza Adli alireza.adli@concordia.ca
+The original workflow was developed in ArcGIS by
+Kartikay Sharma (kartikay.sharma@concordia.ca).
 """
 
-from scrub_layer_class import *
+from scrub_layer import ScrubLayer
-from input_paths_and_layers import *
+from config import qgis_path, input_paths, output_paths, output_paths_dir
-
+from helpers import create_output_folders
 # Making folders for the output data layers
 create_output_folders(output_paths, output_paths_dir)
 

scrub_layer.py

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ PyQGIS functionalities that are needed in the cleaning and updating
 Montreal Buildings dataset project, gathered in one class.
 Project Developer: Alireza Adli alireza.adli@concordia.ca
 """
+import os
+import processing
 
 from qgis.core import QgsApplication, QgsField, QgsProject, \
   QgsProcessingFeedback, QgsVectorLayer, QgsVectorDataProvider, \
@@ -11,8 +13,7 @@ from qgis.core import QgsApplication, QgsField, QgsProject, \
   QgsExpression, QgsVectorFileWriter, QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem
 from qgis.PyQt.QtCore import QVariant
 from qgis.analysis import QgsNativeAlgorithms
-from basic_functions import *
+from helpers import create_folders,  find_shp_files
-import processing
 
 
 class ScrubLayer:

scrub_mtl.py

@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ The development of this class has been stopped but the whole workflow
 can be found in a module namely handle_mtl_ds_workflow, in the same project.
 Project Developer: Alireza Adli alireza.adli@concordia.ca
 """
+import os
 
-from scrub_layer_class import *
+from scrub_layer import *
-from basic_functions import *
+from helpers import find_shp_files
 
 
 class ScrubMTL: