Proposal of a Python interface to OpenMI, as the base for open source hydrological framework

Robert Szczepanek

doi:10.14311/gi.7.8

Abstract

Hydrologists need simple, yet powerful, open source framework for developing and testing mathematical models. Such framework should ensure long-term interoperability and high scalability. This can be done by implementation of the existing, already tested standards. At the moment two interesting options exist: Open Modelling Interface (OpenMI) and Object Modeling System (OMS). OpenMI was developed within the Fifth European Framework Programme for integrated watershed management, described in the Water Framework Directive. OpenMI interfaces are available for the C# and Java programming languages. OpenMI Association is now in the process of agreement with Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), so the spatial standards existing in OpenMI 2.0 should be better implemented in the future. The OMS project is pure Java, object-oriented modeling framework coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Big advantage of OMS compared to OpenMI is its simplicity of implementation. On the other hand, OpenMI seems to be more powerful and better suited for hydrological models. Finally, OpenMI model was selected as the base interface for the proposed open source hydrological framework. The existing hydrological libraries and models focus usually on just one GIS package (HydroFOSS – GRASS) or one operating system (HydroDesktop – Microsoft Windows). The new hydrological framework should break those limitations. To make hydrological models’ implementation as easy as possible, the framework should be based on a simple, high-level computer language. Low and mid-level languages, like Java (SEXTANTE) or C (GRASS, SAGA) were excluded, as too complicated for regular hydrologist. From popular, high-level languages, Python seems to be a good choice. Leading GIS desktop applications – GRASS and QGIS – use Python as second native language, providing well documented API. This way, a Python-based hydrological library could be easily integrated with any GIS package supporting this programming language. As the OpenMI 2.0 standard supported interfaces only for Java and C#, the Python interface for OpenMI standard, presented in this paper, is the first step done towards the open and interoperable hydrological framework. GIS-related issues of the OpenMI 2.0 standard are also outlined and discussed.

Highlights

Mathematical modelling in hydrological sciences gets use of geospatial functions from early 1990s [15]
Szczepanek R.: Proposal of a Python interface to Open Modelling Interface (OpenMI), as the base for open source hydrological framework is very difficult without access to geospatial systems
At the Cracow University of Technology (Poland), in late 1980s, we have developed a geographical information systems (GIS) based, distributed hydrological model WISTOO [27]

Summary

Introduction

Mathematical modelling in hydrological sciences gets use of geospatial functions from early 1990s [15]. A framework can be seen as a collection of software libraries with defined application programming interfaces (API) It is a foundation structure for developing applications. First one is based on the development of hydrological functions within the GIS environment Such models are easier to integrate with GIS and provide better interoperability. Examples of this approach can be found in GRASS [18] or SAGA [12], module-based systems. Instead of fighting with the code, one should focus on the problem to be solved To reach this goal, a framework, easy to use and implement, and based on a high-level computer language is needed. It should be possible to use other external models compatible with the selected interface, or even to use a hydrological library as the Web Processing Service (WPS) back-end

Modelling frameworks

Open source hydrological libraries and applications

Towards interoperable hydrological framework

Discussion