DokuWiki and GoogleEarth-formatted files

Many of the data sets offered here are in so-called kml format, which is the format required for ingestion in GoogleEarth. Files of this format have names like filename.kml. GoogleEarth also recognizes files named like filename.kmz, which identifies a kml file that has been packed using the zip facility. Data files ready for viewing in GoogleEarth will thus be recognizable by either the .kml or .kmz extensions.

Problem described below - inability to upload kml and kmz files to this wiki - has been solved. kml and kmz files may now be uploaded as they are. The workaround for upload and download described below is no longer necessary.

NB! The DokuWiki engine used for this wiki does not allow upload of just any file. Specifically, in its default installation, DokuWiki does not accept .kml or .kmz files, which we use to display data in GoogleEarth. However, it will accept .zip files.

Now, a .kmz file is just zipped version of a .kml file; it is recognized by GoogleEarth and unpacked automatically. GoogleEarth does not recognize other file types. For example, the zipped kml file file_name.kml.zip is not recognized even though the content is exactly the same as file_name.kmz.

Workaround:

• Data providers create each kml file named like file_name.kml and zip it to file_name.kml.zip. Upload the zipped file.
• Data users download a file named like file_name.kml.zip and rename to file_name.kmz. Load the latter into GoogleEarth (ctrl+o).