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\section{GRASS GIS}
\label{sec:grass}
\emph{by Markus Neteler}

\subsection{About GRASS}
\label{subsec:about}
GRASS (the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) is a vector and raster GIS, image processing system, 
graphics production system, and spatial modelling system. It contains many modules for raster and vector data 
manipulation, rendering images on the monitor or paper, multispectral image geocoding and processing, and
attribute management. It is published under the GNU General Public License. GRASS is written in the C language
with a prototype GRASS-SWIG interface and further Python based WebGIS applications. The data management
capabilities also include 3D raster (voxel) modelling as well as vector network analysis. Through the
R interface geostatistical analysis can be performed. GRASS is portable multi-platform software running
on Linux, MacOS X, Posix compliant Unixes and MS-Windows (through Cygwin, and major parts now also working natively).

\subsection{ Recent Events}
\label{subsec:events_GR}
\begin{itemize}
\item Spring 2006: GRASS Quality Assessment (QA) source code navigator online
\item 22 Feb 2006: GRASS GIS 6.0.2 released - bugfix release
\item 12 April 2006: Experimental native winGRASS 6 version integrated with QGIS
\item 11 August 2006: GRASS 6.1.0 released - this is a technology preview release
\item 31 Oct 2006: GRASS 6.2.0 released - The stable version is published
\item 12 Dec 2006: GRASS 6.2.1 released - This release fixes several bugs discovered in the 6.2.0 source code
\item 20 Dec 2006: GRASS GIS / OSGeo Newsletter Published - The first combined GRASS-News / OSGeo-News volume is available
\item 10 Feb 2007: GRASS GIS 6.2.1 winGRASS/Cygwin binaries available
\item 12 Feb 2007: New GRASS bug and wish tracker - Gforge based
\item  Italian GRASS and GFOSS Users Meeting - GRASS and GFOSS Users Meeting, Palermo (Italy), 14-16 Feb 2007
\end{itemize}


\subsection{ Under Development}
\label{subsec:development_GR}
Besides hard testing and bugfixing, several major projects are underway:
\begin{itemize}
\item  native winGRASS port to be completed
\item GRASS GIS 6.3.0 to be published (\htmladdnormallink{draft announcement} {http://grass.itc.it/announces/announce_grass630.html})
\item new Python based graphical user interface in progress
\item Work related to the OSGeo incubation process (code vetting and addition of missing copyright statements) 
\end{itemize}

\subsection{ Statistics}
\label{subsec:statistics_GR}
\begin{itemize}
\item In the first three months of 2007, the \htmladdnormallink{main server statistics}{http://grass.itc.it/webalizer/}
 show (there are more than 20 mirror sites, not included here):
	\begin{itemize}
	\item  more than 5000 GRASS 6.2.1 source code downloads
 	\item  more than 2000 MS-Windows/Cygwin downloads
 	\item  more than 1000 Linux downloads
 	\item  11100 Spearfish sample dataset downloads 
	\end{itemize}
\item \htmladdnormallink{grassuser}{http://grass.itc.it/mailman/listinfo/grassuser} mailing list
	\begin{itemize}
           	\item more than 800 members
           	\item averaging about 15 messages/day 
	\end{itemize}
\item \htmladdnormallink{grass-dev}{http://grass.itc.it/mailman/listinfo/grass-dev} mailing list
	\begin{itemize}
		\item more than 450 members
        	\item averaging about 20 messages/day 
	\end{itemize}

\item twelve additional mailing lists exist plus several national GRASS user lists
\item Over the last 8 months, every 1.16 hours a change is committed to the GRASS source code repository
 (\htmladdnormallink{source}{http://cia.vc/stats/project/GRASS})
\item More useful stats can be found on the Ohloh site:
           \url{http://www.ohloh.net/projects/3666} 
\end{itemize}



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