Lines
While lines can also seem to be simple shapes, having length but no width, there are many options and tricks for making lines display nicely.
Example lines layer
The lines layer used in the examples below contains road information for a fictional country. For reference, the attribute table for the points in this layer is included below.
fid (Feature ID) |
name (Road name) |
type (Road class) |
|---|---|---|
| line.1 | Latway | highway |
| line.2 | Crescent Avenue | secondary |
| line.3 | Forest Avenue | secondary |
| line.4 | Longway | highway |
| line.5 | Saxer Avenue | secondary |
| line.6 | Ridge Avenue | secondary |
| line.7 | Holly Lane | local-road |
| line.8 | Mulberry Street | local-road |
| line.9 | Nathan Lane | local-road |
| line.10 | Central Street | local-road |
| line.11 | Lois Lane | local-road |
| line.12 | Rocky Road | local-road |
| line.13 | Fleet Street | local-road |
| line.14 | Diane Court | local-road |
| line.15 | Cedar Trail | local-road |
| line.16 | Victory Road | local-road |
| line.17 | Highland Road | local-road |
| line.18 | Easy Street | local-road |
| line.19 | Hill Street | local-road |
| line.20 | Country Road | local-road |
| line.21 | Main Street | local-road |
| line.22 | Jani Lane | local-road |
| line.23 | Shinbone Alley | local-road |
| line.24 | State Street | local-road |
| line.25 | River Road | local-road |
Simple line
This example specifies lines be colored black with a thickness of 3 pixels.
Simple line
Code
Download the "Simple line" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Simple Line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#000000'
stroke-width: 3
Details
There is one rule in one feature style for this YSLD, which is the simplest possible situation. (All subsequent examples will contain one rule and one feature style unless otherwise specified.) Styling lines is accomplished via the line symbolizer (lines 5-8). Line 7 specifies the color of the line to be black ('#000000'), while line 8 specifies the width of the lines to be 3 pixels.
Line with border
This example shows how to draw lines with borders (sometimes called "cased lines"). In this case the lines are drawn with a 3 pixel blue center and a 1 pixel wide gray border.
Line with border
Code
Download the "Line with border" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Line with border'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#333333'
stroke-width: 5
stroke-linecap: round
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#6699FF'
stroke-width: 3
stroke-linecap: round
Details
Lines in YSLD have no notion of a "fill", only "stroke". Thus, unlike points or polygons, it is not possible to style the "edge" of the line geometry. It is, however, possible to achieve this effect by drawing each line twice: once with a certain width and again with a slightly smaller width. This gives the illusion of fill and stroke by obscuring the larger lines everywhere except along the edges of the smaller lines.
Since every line is drawn twice, the order of the rendering is very important. GeoServer renders feature-styles in the order that they are presented in the YSLD. In this style, the gray border lines are drawn first via the first feature style, followed by the blue center lines in a second feature style. This ensures that the blue lines are not obscured by the gray lines, and also ensures proper rendering at intersections, so that the blue lines "connect".
In this example, lines 3-9 comprise the first feature style, which is the outer line (or "stroke"). Line 7 specifies the color of the line to be dark gray ('#333333'), line 8 specifies the width of this line to be 5 pixels, and in line 9 a stroke-linecap parameter of round renders the ends of the line as rounded instead of flat. (When working with bordered lines using a round line cap ensures that the border connects properly at the ends of the lines.)
Lines 10-16 comprise the second feature-style, which is the inner line (or "fill"). Line 14 specifies the color of the line to be a medium blue ('#6699FF'), line 15 specifies the width of this line to be 3 pixels, and line 16 again renders the edges of the line to be rounded instead of flat.
The result is a 3 pixel blue line with a 1 pixel gray border, since the 5 pixel gray line will display 1 pixel on each side of the 3 pixel blue line.
Dashed line
This example alters the Simple line to create a dashed line consisting of 5 pixels of drawn line alternating with 2 pixels of blank space.
Dashed line
Code
Download the "Dashed line" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Dashed line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#0000FF'
stroke-width: 3
stroke-dasharray: 5 2
Details
In this example, line 8 sets the color of the lines to be blue ('#0000FF') and line 8 sets the width of the lines to be 3 pixels. Line 9 determines the composition of the line dashes. The value of 5 2 creates a repeating pattern of 5 pixels of drawn line, followed by 2 pixels of omitted line.
Offset line
This example alters the Simple line to add a perpendicular offset line on the left side of the line, at five pixels distance.
Dashed line
Code
Download the "Offset line" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Dashed line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#000000'
stroke-width: 2
- line:
stroke-color: '#0000FF'
stroke-width: 3
stroke-dasharray: 5 2
offset: 3
Details
In this example, lines 6-8 draw a simple black line like in the Simple line example. Lines 9-12 draw a blue dashed line like in the above Dashed line example. Line 13 modifies the dashed line with a 3 pixel offset from the line geometry.
Railroad (hatching)
This example uses hatching to create a railroad style. Both the line and the hatches are black, with a 2 pixel thickness for the main line and a 1 pixel width for the perpendicular hatches.
Railroad (hatching)
Code
Download the "Railroad (hatching)" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Railroad (hatching)'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#333333'
stroke-width: 3
- line:
stroke-color: '#333333'
stroke-width: 1
stroke-graphic:
size: 12
symbols:
- mark:
shape: shape://vertline
stroke-color: '#333333'
stroke-width: 1
Details
In this example there are two line symbolizers. The first symbolizer, on lines 6-8, draws a standard line, with line 7 drawing the lines as dark gray ('#333333') and line 8 setting the width of the lines to be 2 pixels.
The hatching is invoked in the second symbolizer, on lines 9-18. Line 16 specifies that the symbolizer draw a vertical line hatch (shape://vertline) perpendicular to the line geometry. Lines 17-18 set the hatch color to dark gray ('#333333') and width to 1 pixel. Finally, line 13 specifies both the length of the hatch and the distance between each hatch to both be 12 pixels.
Spaced graphic symbols
This example uses a graphic stroke along with dash arrays to create a "dot and space" line type. Adding the dash array specification allows to control the amount of space between one symbol and the next one. Without using the dash array the lines would be densely populated with dots, each one touching the previous one.
Spaced symbols along a line
Code
Download the "Spaced symbols" YSLD
name: Default Styler
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Dash/Space line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#333333'
stroke-width: 1
stroke-dasharray: 4 6
stroke-graphic:
size: 4
symbols:
- mark:
shape: circle
stroke-color: '#333333'
stroke-width: 1
fill-color: '#666666'
Details
This example, like others before, uses a stroke-graphic to place a graphic symbol along a line. The symbol, defined on lines 14-18 is a 4 pixel gray circle with a dark gray outline. The spacing between symbols is controlled with the stroke-dasharray at line 9, which specifies 4 pixels of pen-down (just enough to draw the circle) and 6 pixels of pen-up, to provide the spacing.
Alternating symbols with dash offsets
This example shows how to create a complex line style which alternates a dashed line and a graphic symbol. The code builds on features shown in the previous examples:
stroke-dasharraycontrols pen-down/pen-up behavior to generate dashed linesstroke-graphicplaces symbols along a line- combining the two allows control of symbol spacing
This also shows the usage of a dash offset, which controls where rendering starts in the dash array. For example, with a dash array of 5 10 and a dash offset of 7 the renderer starts drawing the pattern 7 pixels from the beginning. It skips the 5 pixels pen-down section and 2 pixels of the pen-up section, then draws the remaining 8 pixels of pen-up, then 5 down, 10 up, and so on.
The example shows how to use these features to create two synchronized sequences of dash arrays, one drawing line segments and the other symbols.
Alternating dash and symbol
Code
Download the "Spaced symbols" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Dash/Symbol line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#0000FF'
stroke-width: 1
stroke-dasharray: 10 10
- line:
stroke-color: '#000033'
stroke-width: 1
stroke-dasharray: 5 15
stroke-dashoffset: 7.5
stroke-graphic:
size: 5
symbols:
- mark:
shape: circle
stroke-color: '#000033'
stroke-width: 1
Details
In this example two line symbolizers use stroke-dasharray and different symbology to produce a sequence of alternating dashes and symbols. The first symbolizer (lines 6-9) is a simple dashed line alternating 10 pixels of pen-down with 10 pixels of pen-up. The second symbolizer (lines 10-21) alternates a 5 pixel empty circle with 15 pixels of white space. The circle symbol is produced by a mark element, with its symbology specified by stroke parameters (lines 20-21). The spacing between symbols is controlled with the stroke-dasharray (line 13), which specifies 5 pixels of pen-down (just enough to draw the circle) and 15 pixels of pen-up. In order to have the two sequences positioned correctly the second one uses a stroke-dashoffset of 7.5 (line 14). This makes the sequence start with 12.5 pixels of white space, then a circle (which is then centered between the two line segments of the other pattern), then 15 pixels of white space, and so on.
Line with default label
This example shows a text label on the simple line. This is how a label will be displayed in the absence of any other customization.
Line with default label
Code
Download the "Line with default label" YSLD
name: Default Styler
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Line with default label'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#FF0000'
stroke-width: 1
- text:
label: ${name}
fill-color: '#000000'
font-family: Serif
font-size: 10
font-style: normal
font-weight: normal
placement: point
Details
In this example, there is one rule with a line symbolizer and a text symbolizer. The line symbolizer (lines 6-8) draws red lines ('#FF0000'). The text symbolizer (lines 10-17) determines the labeling of the lines. Line 10 specifies that the text of the label will be determined by the value of the "name" attribute for each line. (Refer to the attribute table in the Example lines layer section if necessary.) Line 11 sets the text color to black. All other details about the label are set to the renderer default, which here is Times New Roman font, font color black, and font size of 10 pixels.
Label following line
This example renders the text label to follow the contour of the lines.
Label following line
Code
Download the "Label following line" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Label following line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#FF0000'
stroke-width: 1
- text:
label: ${name}
fill-color: '#000000'
placement: line
offset: 0
x-followLine: true
Details
As the Alternating symbols with dash offsets example showed, the default label behavior isn't optimal. The label is displayed at a tangent to the line itself, leading to uncertainty as to which label corresponds to which line.
This example is similar to the Alternating symbols with dash offsets example with the exception of lines 12-14. Line 14 sets the option to have the label follow the line, while lines 12-13 specify that the label is placed along a line. If placement: line is not specified in an YSLD, then placement: point is assumed, which isn't compatible with line-specific rendering options.
Note
Not all labels are shown due to label conflict resolution. See the next section on Optimized label placement for an example of how to maximize label display.
Optimized label placement
This example optimizes label placement for lines such that the maximum number of labels are displayed.
Optimized label
Code
Download the "Optimized label" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Optimized label placement'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#FF0000'
stroke-width: 1
- text:
label: ${name}
fill-color: '#000000'
placement: line
offset: 0
x-followLine: true
x-maxAngleDelta: 90
x-maxDisplacement: 400
x-repeat: 150
Details
GeoServer uses "conflict resolution" to ensure that labels aren't drawn on top of other labels, obscuring them both. This accounts for the reason why many lines don't have labels in the previous example, Label following line. While this setting can be toggled, it is usually a good idea to leave it on and use other label placement options to ensure that labels are drawn as often as desired and in the correct places. This example does just that.
This example is similar to the previous example, Label following line. The only differences are contained in lines 15-17. Line 15 sets the maximum angle that the label will follow. This sets the label to never bend more than 90 degrees to prevent the label from becoming illegible due to a pronounced curve or angle. Line 16 sets the maximum displacement of the label to be 400 pixels. In order to resolve conflicts with overlapping labels, GeoServer will attempt to move the labels such that they are no longer overlapping. This value sets how far the label can be moved relative to its original placement. Finally, line 17 sets the labels to be repeated every 150 pixels. A feature will typically receive only one label, but this can cause confusion for long lines. Setting the label to repeat ensures that the line is always labeled locally.
Optimized and styled label
This example improves the style of the labels from the Optimized label placement example.
Optimized and styled label
Code
Download the "Optimized and styled label" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Optimized and styled label'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#FF0000'
stroke-width: 1
- text:
label: ${name}
fill-color: '#000000'
font-family: Arial
font-size: 10
font-style: normal
font-weight: bold
placement: line
offset: 0
x-followLine: true
x-maxAngleDelta: 90
x-maxDisplacement: 400
x-repeat: 150
Details
This example is similar to the Optimized label placement. The only difference is in the font information, which is contained in lines 12-15. Line 12 sets the font family to be "Arial", line 13 sets the font size to 10, line 14 sets the font style to "normal" (as opposed to "italic" or "oblique"), and line 15 sets the font weight to "bold" (as opposed to "normal").
Attribute-based line
This example styles the lines differently based on the "type" (Road class) attribute.
Attribute-based line
Code
Download the "Attribute-based line" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Attribute-based line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- name: local-road
filter: ${type = 'local-road'}
symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#009933'
stroke-width: 2
- name: name
rules:
- name: secondary
filter: ${type = 'secondary'}
symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#0055CC'
stroke-width: 3
- name: name
rules:
- name: highway
filter: ${type = 'highway'}
symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#FF0000'
stroke-width: 6
Details
Note
Refer to the Example lines layer to see the attributes for the layer. This example has eschewed labels in order to simplify the style, but you can refer to the example Optimized and styled label to see which attributes correspond to which points.
There are three types of road classes in our fictional country, ranging from back roads to high-speed freeways: "highway", "secondary", and "local-road". In order to handle each case separately, there is more than one feature style, each containing a single rule. This ensures that each road type is rendered in order, as each feature style is drawn based on the order in which it appears in the YSLD.
The three rules are designed as follows:
| Rule order | Rule name / type | Color | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | local-road | #009933 (green) |
2 |
| 2 | secondary | #0055CC (blue) |
3 |
| 3 | highway | #FF0000 (red) |
6 |
Lines 3-10 comprise the first rule. Line 6 sets the filter for this rule, such that the "type" attribute has a value of "local-road". If this condition is true for a particular line, the rule is rendered according to the line symbolizer which is on lines 8-10. Lines 9-10 set the color of the line to be a dark green ('#009933') and the width to be 2 pixels.
Lines 11-18 comprise the second rule. Line 14 sets the filter for this rule, such that the "type" attribute has a value of "secondary". If this condition is true for a particular line, the rule is rendered according to the line symbolizer which is on lines 16-18. Lines 17-18 set the color of the line to be a dark blue ('#0055CC') and the width to be 3 pixels, making the lines slightly thicker than the "local-road" lines and also a different color.
Lines 19-26 comprise the third and final rule. Line 22 sets the filter for this rule, such that the "type" attribute has a value of "primary". If this condition is true for a particular line, the rule is rendered according to the line symbolizer which is on lines 24-26. Lines 25-26 set the color of the line to be a bright red ('#FF0000') and the width to be 6 pixels, so that these lines are rendered on top of and thicker than the other two road classes. In this way, the "primary" roads are given priority in the map rendering.
Zoom-based line
This example alters the Simple line style at different zoom levels.
Zoom-based line: Zoomed in
Zoom-based line: Partially zoomed
Zoom-based line: Zoomed out
Code
Download the "Zoom-based line" YSLD
title: 'YSLD Cook Book: Zoom-based line'
feature-styles:
- name: name
rules:
- name: Large
scale: [min,1.8e8]
symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#009933'
stroke-width: 6
- name: Medium
scale: [1.8e8,3.6e8]
symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#009933'
stroke-width: 4
- name: Small
scale: [3.6e8,max]
symbolizers:
- line:
stroke-color: '#009933'
stroke-width: 2
Details
It is often desirable to make shapes larger at higher zoom levels when creating a natural-looking map. This example varies the thickness of the lines according to the zoom level (or more accurately, scale denominator). Scale denominators refer to the scale of the map. A scale denominator of 10,000 means the map has a scale of 1:10,000 in the units of the map projection.
Note
Determining the appropriate scale denominators (zoom levels) to use is beyond the scope of this example.
This style contains three rules. The three rules are designed as follows:
| Rule order | Rule name | Scale denominator | Line width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large | 1:180,000,000 or less | 6 |
| 2 | Medium | 1:180,000,000 to 1:360,000,000 | 4 |
| 3 | Small | Greater than 1:360,000,000 | 2 |
The order of these rules does not matter since the scales denominated in each rule do not overlap.
The first rule (lines 5-10) is the smallest scale denominator, corresponding to when the view is "zoomed in". The scale rule is set on line 6, so that the rule will apply to any map with a scale denominator of 180,000,000 or less. Lines 9-10 draw the line to be dark green ('#009933') with a width of 6 pixels.
The second rule (lines 11-16) is the intermediate scale denominator, corresponding to when the view is "partially zoomed". Lines 12 set the scale such that the rule will apply to any map with scale denominators between 180,000,000 and 360,000,000. (The lower bound is inclusive and the upper bound is exclusive, so a zoom level of exactly 360,000,000 would not apply here.) Aside from the scale, the only difference between this rule and the previous is the width of the lines, which is set to 4 pixels on line 16.
The third rule (lines 17-22) is the largest scale denominator, corresponding to when the map is "zoomed out". The scale rule is set on line 18, so that the rule will apply to any map with a scale denominator of 360,000,000 or greater. Again, the only other difference between this rule and the others is the width of the lines, which is set to 2 pixels on line 22.
The result of this style is that lines are drawn with larger widths as one zooms in and smaller widths as one zooms out.