Web Feature Server (WFS)
Purpose: WFS is designed to serve raw geographic features (vector data) over the web.
Functionality:
- Feature-Based: It delivers geographic features (such as points, lines, and polygons) and their associated attribute data in formats like GML (Geography Markup Language).
- Interactivity: Allows clients to query and retrieve specific features, perform spatial and attribute queries, and even support transactions (e.g., inserting, updating, deleting features).
- Data Access: Provides access to the actual data behind the map, enabling more detailed and customized analysis and processing compared to image-based services.
- Standardization: Also standardized by the OGC, ensuring compatibility and interoperability across various GIS applications and systems.