v.in.wfs(1)

📦
version 8.4.2 · 8 versions
, in fedora 44

💖 v.in.wfs — the GRASS GIS User's Manual glow-up 💖

okay bestie, pull up a chair, because today we're talking about v.in.wfs, straight out of the GRASS GIS User's Manual. She imports GetFeature from a WFS server. That's it, that's the whole personality, and honestly? Iconic. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

v.in.wfs — Imports GetFeature from a WFS server. no cap, that's literally her job. 💅

🎀 KEYWORDS 🎀

vector, import, OGC web services, OGC WFS

(aka the tags that help you find her when you're lost in the module list 🦋)

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

v.in.wfs
v.in.wfs --help
v.in.wfs [-lr] url=string output=name  [name=string[,string,...]]
[layer=string[,string,...]]   [srs=string]   [maximum_features=integer]
[start_index=integer]   [version=string]   [username=string]
[password=string]   [--overwrite]  [--help]  [--verbose]  [--quiet]
[--ui]

🚩 Flags 🚩

  • -l — Downloads the server capabilities to wms_capabilities.xml in the current directory and then exits. Like, she peeks at the menu and dips. 💀
  • -r — Restricts the fetch to features which touch the current region. Regional queen behavior 👑
  • --overwrite — Allows output files to overwrite existing files. Chaos mode permitted, but make sure you actually mean it 🙈
  • --help — Prints the usage summary. Your little cheat sheet 🫶
  • --verbose — Verbose module output. She will tell you everything 💬
  • --quiet — Quiet module output. She says nothing. Silent main character energy 🤫
  • --ui — Forces launching the GUI dialog. Point-and-click girlies rise 🌈

🧚 Parameters 🧚

  • url=string [required] — Base URL starting with 'http' and ending in '?'. Yes, the ? at the end is required, don't ask, just trust the process 💖
  • output=name [required] — Name for output vector map. Name your baby something cute 🎀
  • name=string[,string,...] — Comma separated names of data layers to download.
  • layer=string[,string,...] — Name of data layers to import.
  • srs=string — Specify alternate spatial reference system (example: EPSG:4326). The given code must be supported by the server, so consult the capabilities file first, bestie 📋
  • maximum_features=integer — Maximum number of features to download. (default: unlimited — go feral, download everything 🔥)
  • start_index=integer — Skip earlier feature IDs and start downloading at this one. (default: start with the first feature)
  • version=string — version of WFS, e.g.: 1.0.0 or 2.0.0. Default: 1.0.0
  • username=string — Username or file with username or environment variable name with username.
  • password=string — Password or file with password or environment variable name with password.

💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

v.in.wfs imports OGC WFS maps (Web Feature Service) from external servers. That's the vibe. She reaches out across the internet, grabs your features, and brings them home. 🦋✨

🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

🌸 WFS import without credentials 🌸

Import of Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite scene footprints:

# run in Latitude-Longitude project (EPGS code 4326):
# download "sentinel:mgrs" layer:
v.in.wfs url="https://geoserver.mundialis.de/geoserver/sentinel/wfs?" name="sentinel:mgrs" output=sentinel2_mgrs
# download NRW ALKIS "ave:Flurstueck" attribute:
# set the AOI beforehand with g.region and limit import to current region with -r flag
v.in.wfs url="https://www.wfs.nrw.de/geobasis/wfs_nw_alkis_vereinfacht?" -r output=wfs_alkis_vereinfacht srs=25832
name="ave:Flurstueck" version="2.0.0" layer="Flurstueck"

🔑 WFS import with API key 🔑

Download 25 ship wrecks from LINZ data service: (first create yourself a free API key at http://data.linz.govt.nz/p/web-services/)

# run in LatLong project:
URL=’http://wfs.data.linz.govt.nz/<PUT YOUR API KEY HERE>/wfs?’
# download list of available layers to wms_capabilities.xml
v.in.wfs -l url="$URL"

From that file we learn that the shipwreck layer is called "v:x633" and that EPSG code 4326 (LatLong WGS84) is a supported SRS for this data layer.

v.in.wfs url="$URL" output=linz_hydro_25_wrecks name="v:x633" srs="EPSG:4326" max=25

⚠️ REQUIREMENTS ⚠️

The OGR library on the system needs to be compiled with Xerces C++ XML Parser support (for GML).

fr fr, if that Xerces C++ XML Parser support isn't baked into your OGR, this whole thing is not gonna slay. double check it before you come for her. 💀

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

g.region, r.in.wms, v.import, v.in.ogr

go read those too, they're all part of the same friend group 💖

👑 AUTHORS 👑

Markus Neteler, Hamish Bowman

(legends, honestly. we stan. 🫶)

📜 SOURCE CODE 📜

Available at: v.in.wfs source code (history)

Accessed: Saturday Jan 17 05:41:53 2026

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okay that's the whole page bestie, hope you're obsessed 💜 this was the GRASS GIS 8.4.2 Reference Manual, © 2003-2025 GRASS Development Team, and yes, she is GRASS 8.4.2 and she is thriving. mwah 💅✨

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