DEV Community: Ronit Jadhav

Setting Up a QGIS Plugin Development Environment with Conda and VS Code

Ronit Jadhav — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 21:16:04 +0000

Developing QGIS plugins in Python is much easier when you work inside a stable and isolated environment. Without it, package conflicts and version mismatches can quickly become frustrating.

This blog explains how to create a clean, reproducible QGIS plugin development environment using Conda and configure it for use in Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

Step 1: Install Conda

Conda is a cross-platform environment and package manager that helps you manage dependencies and isolate projects.
There are several versions available:

Anaconda – Includes many scientific libraries out of the box but is large and slower to update.
Miniconda – A lightweight installer that gives you full control over what gets installed.
Miniforge – A community version that defaults to the conda-forge repository, where QGIS packages are maintained.
Mambaforge – The same as Miniforge but uses mamba, a faster alternative to conda.

Recommendation: Use Miniforge or Mambaforge for a lightweight and modern setup.

Download the installer for your operating system and complete the installation using the default options.

Step 2: Create an Isolated QGIS Environment

To avoid conflicts with other Python setups, create a separate Conda environment dedicated to QGIS plugin development.

Open your terminal (or the Miniconda Prompt on Windows) and run:

conda create -n qgis_plugin_dev qgis -c conda-forge

To install a specific QGIS version:

conda create -n qgis_plugin_dev qgis=3.44.4 -c conda-forge

To specify both QGIS and Python versions:

conda create -n qgis_plugin_dev qgis=3.44.4 python=3.10 -c conda-forge

If you’re using Mambaforge, simply replace conda with mamba:

mamba create -n qgis_plugin_dev qgis=3.44.4 python=3.10

Windows users: After creating the environment, close and reopen the terminal to ensure the environment variables are properly updated.

Step 3: Install and Set Up VS Code

Installation

Download the correct version for your operating system.
On Windows, enable “Add to PATH” during installation so you can open VS Code directly from the command line.
Launch VS Code once to finish setup.

Add Python Support

In VS Code, open the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X) and install the Python extension by Microsoft (ms-python).

After installing the extension, restart VS Code.

Step 4: Activate the Environment and Start Coding

Once everything is installed, you can begin your QGIS plugin development workflow.

Open your terminal.
Activate the new environment:

   conda activate qgis_plugin_dev

Move to your project directory:

   cd path/to/your/plugin

Launch VS Code from that directory:

   code .

VS Code should automatically detect the qgis_plugin_dev environment and use it as the active Python interpreter.

Verify the Setup

Create a test file named check_pyqgis.py and add the following code:

from qgis.core import QgsApplication

print("QGIS Python environment is ready!")

If you see no import errors and autocompletion works for qgis.core, your setup is complete.

Step 5: Manage and Maintain the Environment

You can export your environment setup to share or reproduce it later:

conda env export > environment.yml

To rebuild it elsewhere:

conda env create -f environment.yml

To keep everything up to date:

conda update -n qgis_plugin_dev --all

Step 6: Begin QGIS Plugin Development

Your environment is now ready for plugin development. You can use it to:

Write and test standalone PyQGIS scripts
Develop and debug QGIS plugins using VS Code
Experiment with spatial data processing in a clean environment

This setup keeps your plugin projects isolated from the main QGIS installation, ensuring consistent results across systems.

How to Install GeoServer Extensions the Right Way

Ronit Jadhav — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:11:31 +0000

GeoServer is a powerful open-source server for sharing geospatial data. One of its best features is that it's modular, with the help of plugins, you can add support for new formats, services, and tools.

This guide will walk you through how to install these GeoServer extensions step by step.

What Are GeoServer Extensions?

GeoServer extensions are additional modules that add new features. These can include:

• Support for additional data formats like MBTiles or MongoDB

• Extra services like CSW or WPS

• Monitoring and admin tools

By default, GeoServer comes with only the core features. You need to install these plugins manually if you want extra capabilities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Installing GeoServer Extensions

1. Visit the GeoServer Build Site

Go to the official GeoServer build server:

https://build.geoserver.org/geoserver/

This site contains all GeoServer builds and their extensions.

2. Choose the Correct Version

Pick the folder that matches your GeoServer version exactly.

• Use main/ for the latest stable version

• Or choose a specific version folder like 2.23.2/ if you're using that version

⚠️ Important: Extension versions must match the GeoServer version you're running. Otherwise, things might break.

3. Download the Extension

Find and download the .zip file for the extension you need. For example, you might choose mbtiles-plugin.zip or monitoring.zip.

Extract the zip file once downloaded.

4. Get the `.jar` Files

Inside the extracted folder, look for .jar files. These are the actual plugin files you need.

You can ignore any documentation files or license info.

5. Locate Your GeoServer Installation

Find where you installed GeoServer. This depends on your setup:

• Linux: /usr/share/geoserver or similar

• Windows: maybe C:\geoserver

• From a zip file: wherever you extracted it

6. Navigate to the `lib` Directory

From the root GeoServer folder, go to:

webapps/geoserver/WEB-INF/lib

This folder holds all the extension .jar files that GeoServer uses.

7. Copy the `.jar` Files

Copy all the .jar files from the extension folder into the lib directory.

If you're prompted to replace existing files, it's generally safe to click "Replace," especially if you're updating an extension.

8. Restart GeoServer

You need to restart GeoServer to apply the new plugin.

If you installed from a zip file, use:

./bin/shutdown.sh
./bin/startup.sh

That's it! Your extension should now be available in GeoServer.

How to Host and Test PMTiles on GitHub Pages — The Easiest Way to Serve Maps Without a Server

Ronit Jadhav — Thu, 29 May 2025 13:05:13 +0000

Do you want to share your own tiled map (like city boundaries or custom vector data) without paying for hosting or running a server?

You can host .pmtiles files (Protomaps tile archives) entirely on GitHub Pages and consume them using OpenLayers. This post shows how to:

Get your .pmtiles data
Host it on GitHub Pages (completely free!)
Build simple viewers to display your maps
Test everything instantly in your browser

🧭 What is PMTiles?

PMTiles is a single-file format for storing map tiles. Instead of hundreds of folders like /z/x/y.mvt, you get one file, which:

Contains an internal index
Can be read using HTTP range requests
Works perfectly on static hosts like GitHub Pages

🔥 Live Demos

🧪 Test any PMTiles file

Try pasting any PMTiles URL into this live app:

🔗 maps.protomaps.com

You can:

Load tiles from a URL
Drag & drop your local .pmtiles
Reset to original map

🧱 How to Get PMTiles Data

Need your own PMTiles data? You have a few options:

🚀 Quick Start: For detailed instructions on downloading and extracting PMTiles data from OpenStreetMap, check out the official guide:

🔗 Protomaps Getting Started Guide

⚡ Or try these ready-made sources:

Pre-built regional extracts at maps.protomaps.com/builds
Create custom extracts using the PMTiles CLI
Use existing PMTiles files from the community

Once you have your .pmtiles file, you're ready to host and visualize it!

🛠️ Hosting PMTiles on GitHub Pages

GitHub Pages is great for PMTiles testing and exploration:

✅ Free static hosting
✅ Supports byte-range requests (required by .pmtiles)
✅ Global CDN
✅ No backend needed

⚠️ Important Note

GitHub Pages is recommended for testing, prototyping, and personal projects only. For production applications with high traffic or performance requirements, consider dedicated hosting solutions. GitHub Pages has bandwidth limitations and may experience slower response times under heavy load.

🚀 Host Your PMTiles on GitHub Pages

The approach depends on your file size. GitHub has different limits for web uploads vs. Git pushes.

📏 File Size Considerations

Small Files (< 25MB):

Can be uploaded directly through GitHub's web interface
Simple drag-and-drop workflow

Large Files (25MB - 100MB):

Must use Git command line or GitHub Desktop
Standard Git push works fine

Very Large Files (> 100MB):

Not recommended for GitHub Pages
Consider alternative hosting solutions for better performance

Method 1: Small Files (< 25MB) - Web Upload

Create a new repository on GitHub (e.g. my-city-map)
Upload your PMTiles file:
- Just drag and drop your_map.pmtiles into the repo
- No HTML, no code - just the data file!
Enable GitHub Pages:
- Go to Settings → Pages
- Choose Source: Deploy from a branch
- Branch: main
- Folder: / (root)
- Click Save

Method 2: Large Files (25MB - 100MB) - Git Command Line

For files between 25MB and 100MB, you'll need to use Git locally:

Create repository on GitHub (e.g. my-city-map)
Clone and add your file locally:

   # Clone the empty repository
   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/my-city-map.git
   cd my-city-map

   # Copy your PMTiles file into the directory
   cp /path/to/your_map.pmtiles .

   # Add and commit the file
   git add your_map.pmtiles
   git commit -m "Add PMTiles data"

   # Push to GitHub
   git push origin main

Enable GitHub Pages:
- Go to Settings → Pages in your GitHub repo
- Choose Source: Deploy from a branch
- Branch: main, Folder: / (root)
- Click Save

🌐 Your PMTiles URL

Regardless of the method used, your hosted PMTiles file will be available at:

https://YOUR_USERNAME.github.io/REPO_NAME/your_map.pmtiles

For example: https://johndoe.github.io/my-city-map/berlin_area.pmtiles

🧪 Test Your Map Instantly

Copy your PMTiles URL and paste it into:

🔗 maps.protomaps.com

🎉 Boom! Your map loads instantly - no coding required!

💡 Pro Tips

File naming: Use descriptive names like berlin_districts.pmtiles instead of map.pmtiles
Repository organization: Keep related files together (multiple zoom levels, different regions)
File size: Keep files under 100MB for optimal GitHub Pages performance
Compression: PMTiles files are already compressed, but consider the geographic scope to optimize size
Performance: For production use, consider dedicated hosting services for better performance and reliability
GitHub limits: Be aware of GitHub Pages' soft bandwidth limit (100GB/month) and response time limitations

🛠️ Want to Build Custom Viewers?

For developers who want to integrate PMTiles into their own applications:

📚 MapLibre Documentation - Modern web mapping library
🗺️ OpenLayers PMTiles Guide - Comprehensive mapping toolkit
⚡ PMTiles JavaScript Library - Direct PMTiles integration

These libraries make it easy to consume PMTiles in web applications with full styling and interactivity control.

📚 More Resources

❤️ Final Thoughts

PMTiles + GitHub Pages = the simplest way to test and explore interactive maps:

📁 Just one file to manage
🆓 Completely free hosting (with generous limits)
⚡ Good performance for development and testing
🚀 Deploy in under 5 minutes
📈 Scales from small city maps to country-wide datasets

Perfect for personal projects, prototyping, city maps, data visualizations, or learning. No servers, no complexity, minimal costs.

For production applications: Consider dedicated hosting solutions for optimal performance and reliability.

🗺️ Happy mapping!

QGIS Hub Plugin 0.4 – A Cleaner UI and New Resource Types

Ronit Jadhav — Mon, 26 May 2025 18:33:23 +0000

Version 0.4 of the QGIS Hub Plugin brings a much improved browsing experience and introduces support for two new resource types from hub.qgis.org: the Map Gallery and Processing Scripts.

If you use QGIS regularly and want quick access to high quality styles, scripts, and reference maps, this update makes that process smoother than ever.

🔄 A Redesigned Explorer Window

The plugin now features a cleaner and more organized interface that makes it easier to find and preview resources.

Previous version

New in version 0.4

What’s improved:

A left-hand tree filter makes it easy to browse by type and subtype (e.g., Styles → Fill, Processing Scripts, Map Gallery).
Larger preview pane with cleaner layout.
Resizable thumbnails in grid view.
Smoother performance and faster resource loading.
List view and sorting options are still available for those who prefer a table style overview.

🖼️ Map Gallery (View & Download Only)

The new Map Gallery lets you explore beautiful, finished maps shared by the QGIS community. These are high-resolution images meant to inspire and showcase what's possible with QGIS.

In the plugin:

Click on Map Gallery in the left-hand panel.
Browse thumbnails of submitted maps.
Click Open in Browser to view the full-size image.
Or click Download to save it locally.

Note: These are static images, not QGIS projects, so they can’t be opened directly in QGIS. But they’re great for learning layout techniques, styling ideas, or simply admiring good cartography.

⚙️ Processing Scripts – One Click to Install

Processing Scripts are lightweight Python-based tools that behave like regular QGIS processing algorithms. They're easier to write than full plugins and often more powerful than models.

With version 0.4:

Select Processing Scripts in the resource tree.
Pick a script and click Add Script to QGIS.
The script is instantly added to your Processing Toolbox under Scripts → User.

No manual file copying, just select and go.

🔧 How to Install or Upgrade

In QGIS, go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins…
Search for “QGIS Hub Plugin”
Click Install or Upgrade

Then launch the plugin from Plugins → QGIS Hub Plugin and start exploring.

🙌 Acknowledgements

It is developed and maintained by @ismailsunni and @ronitjadhav at Camptocamp, with support and feedback from the QGIS community.

If you have feedback, suggestions, or bug reports, feel free to open an issue on GitHub.

Happy mapping! 🌍

Discover DIGIPIN: The Future of Addressing in India

Ronit Jadhav — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:27:49 +0000

Have you ever wondered how a geo-coded addressing system could transform the way services are delivered? Now, you can see it in action! Check out Live Demo to explore DIGIPIN in real-time and experience its transformative potential.

Simplifying Addressing with DIGIPIN

The Department of India Post, in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad, has developed a standardized, geo-coded addressing system: DIGIPIN. This innovative system is designed to simplify addressing for public and private service delivery, streamline logistics, and enhance emergency responses.

At the heart of this initiative is a National Level Addressing Grid-based system, a robust pillar of Geospatial Governance aiming to revolutionize public service delivery across the nation.

What is DIGIPIN?

DIGIPIN divides India’s geographical territory into uniform 4-meter by 4-meter units, assigning each unit a unique 10-digit alphanumeric code derived from its latitude and longitude coordinates. This system ensures precise and scalable addressing solutions, paving the way for efficient logistics and disaster management.

Core Features of DIGIPIN

Grid System: Divides India into 4m x 4m units.
Unique Addressing Code: Each unit gets a 10-character alphanumeric code.
Privacy-Friendly: Publicly accessible with no personal data stored.
Adaptable: Easily integrates with GIS applications for various use cases.

Explore DIGIPIN's Capabilities

To make DIGIPIN accessible for developers, I have created an npm package named digipin, enabling you to generate DIGIPIN codes from latitude/longitude or decode them back into coordinates.

Installation

npm install digipin

Example Usage

import digipin from 'digipin';

// Get DIGIPIN from latitude and longitude
const digipinCode = digipin.getDIGIPINFromLatLon(28.6139, 77.2090);
console.log(digipinCode); // Example DIGIPIN code

// Get latitude and longitude from DIGIPIN
const coordinates = digipin.getLatLonFromDIGIPIN(digipinCode);
console.log(coordinates); // { latitude: 28.6139, longitude: 77.2090 }

The Advantages of DIGIPIN

DIGIPIN offers significant benefits:

Precise Geospatial Data: Enhances logistics, emergency responses, and public services.
Scalability: Adaptable for GIS applications across various industries.
Accessibility: Open to public use with no data privacy concerns.

Transform Your Applications with DIGIPIN

With DIGIPIN, the future of addressing is here. Start leveraging this groundbreaking system in your projects with the digipin npm package or use it to explore and map your surroundings with precision.

For a deep dive into the technical aspects of DIGIPIN, refer to the official DIGIPIN Technical Document.

Credits: The DIGIPIN project was developed by the Department of India Post in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad.

Ready to Experience DIGIPIN?

Don't miss the chance to see it in action! Visit Live Demo and contributions are welcomed.

DEV Community: Ronit Jadhav

Setting Up a QGIS Plugin Development Environment with Conda and VS Code

Step 1: Install Conda

Step 2: Create an Isolated QGIS Environment

Step 3: Install and Set Up VS Code

Installation

Add Python Support

Step 4: Activate the Environment and Start Coding

Verify the Setup

Step 5: Manage and Maintain the Environment

Step 6: Begin QGIS Plugin Development

How to Install GeoServer Extensions the Right Way

What Are GeoServer Extensions?

Step-by-Step Guide to Installing GeoServer Extensions

1. Visit the GeoServer Build Site

2. Choose the Correct Version

3. Download the Extension

4. Get the .jar Files

5. Locate Your GeoServer Installation

6. Navigate to the lib Directory

7. Copy the .jar Files

8. Restart GeoServer

How to Host and Test PMTiles on GitHub Pages — The Easiest Way to Serve Maps Without a Server

🧭 What is PMTiles?

🔥 Live Demos

🧪 Test any PMTiles file

🧱 How to Get PMTiles Data

🛠️ Hosting PMTiles on GitHub Pages

⚠️ Important Note

🚀 Host Your PMTiles on GitHub Pages

📏 File Size Considerations

Method 1: Small Files (< 25MB) - Web Upload

Method 2: Large Files (25MB - 100MB) - Git Command Line

🌐 Your PMTiles URL

🧪 Test Your Map Instantly

💡 Pro Tips

🛠️ Want to Build Custom Viewers?

📚 More Resources

❤️ Final Thoughts

QGIS Hub Plugin 0.4 – A Cleaner UI and New Resource Types

🔄 A Redesigned Explorer Window

Previous version

New in version 0.4

What’s improved:

🖼️ Map Gallery (View & Download Only)

⚙️ Processing Scripts – One Click to Install

🔧 How to Install or Upgrade

🙌 Acknowledgements

Discover DIGIPIN: The Future of Addressing in India

Simplifying Addressing with DIGIPIN

What is DIGIPIN?

Core Features of DIGIPIN

Explore DIGIPIN's Capabilities

Installation

Example Usage

The Advantages of DIGIPIN

Transform Your Applications with DIGIPIN

4. Get the `.jar` Files

6. Navigate to the `lib` Directory

7. Copy the `.jar` Files