original video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBrcMG1onYM

Two seasons ago, towards the end of the 1st round of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament Season 82, I asked whether we should be worried about the UP Fighting Maroons. They were 5-1 at the time—trailing only Ateneo in the standings—but my worry came not from their Win-Loss record but in their poor Pythagorean Win % (PW%).

Pythagorean Win % and success in the UAAP

After years of observing and analysing UAAP basketball, I noticed that Pythagorean Win %—the estimated winning percentage of a team based on the number of points they score and the number of points that their opponents score against them—is one of the best indicators of whether or not a team will win the Championship or make it to the Finals.

From 2008-2018:

• 18 out of the 22 teams that made it to the finals had a PW% greater than 70%.
• No team has made it to the Finals with a PW% less than 50%.
• 9 out of the 11 champions led the league in PW%.
• All 11 champions were in the Top 2 in PW%.

At that time in Season 82 when I wrote the post, UP (5-1, 2nd) had a PW% of 49% (3rd). In contrast, Ateneo (6-0, 1st) had a PW% of 97% (1st) and UST (4-2, 3rd) had PW% of 81% (2nd). Based on these, I said that UP needed to play better if they wanted to make it to the Finals, that Ateneo was on track to win its third straight chip, and that UST was positioning itself as the dark horse of the season.

What happened in Season 82

At the end of the elimination round, Ateneo (14-0, 1st) had a PW% of 99% (1st), UST (8-6, 4th) had a PW% of 68% (2nd), while UP (9-5) only managed a PW% of 33% (5th). The mini-predictions I gave where somehow proven right when UST beat UP (twice!) in order to enter the Finals where Ateneo eventually defeated the Tigers to complete their three-peat.

Updating my data, we now have from 2008-2019 (12 seasons):

• 19 out of the 24 teams that made it to the finals had a PW% greater than 70%.
• No team has ever made it to the Finals with a PW% less than 50%.
• 10 out of the 12 champions led the league in PW%.
• All 12 champions were in the Top 2 in PW%.
• In the finals, the team with the better PW% has always won.
• Ateneo has won the championship in all seasons (8) where it had a PW% greater than 88%.

That brings us to this season

The Fighting Maroons are 6-1. Once again only trailing Ateneo in the standings. It’s been a great 1st round for UP and its fans. Team newcomers Zavier Lucero, Joel Cagulangan, and Carl Tamayo have become stalwarts. The Maroons have not skipped a beat even with the departure of Kobe, the Gomez de Liaño brothers, Jun Manzo, and Bright Akhuetie. Lucero has been a revelation—a legit two-way player that you can build a team around. Kudos to the entire Maroons organization for keeping the team not only competitive but as possible contenders. BUT should we be worried? Will this season go the way of Season 82?

Let’s take a look at the Pythagorean Win % at the end of Round 1

Aside: this season’s first round is so symmetrical. Notice the 7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0 wins and 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7 losses of the teams.

Compared to the team from Season 82, this season’s team does not have big a discrepancy between its Winning % and Pythagorean Win %. In fact, we can say that UP’s record in Round 1 of Season 84 is a pretty good indicator of the team’s performance on the court. We aren’t just getting lucky with the wins.

So what does this all mean?

Will this team make the finals? Will UP finally win its first UAAP Championship since 1986?

That’s hard to say but historically and statistically speaking, as of the end of the first round, this iteration of the UP Fighting Maroons has a better chance of making it to the Finals than the team from Season 82 or any other team since Season 71 for that matter—yes, including the “Atin to! Papasok to!” team of Season 81.

Meanwhile, this is still Ateneo’s championship to lose. Remember, the Blue Eagles were champions in all the seasons where the they had a Pythagorean Win % greater than 88% and they are currently at 97%. If you’re taking bets on who will win the chip this year, Ateneo is the safe pick. If Ateneo finishes the elimination round with a PW% greater than 88% then history says a four-peat is inevitable unless the other teams can do something that no other team from 2008-2012 and 2017-2019 was able to do. Heck, Ateneo is already mirroring their dominant performance in Season 82.

In terms of this season’s dark horse, NU and DLSU could play foil to UP and Ateneo’s road to the Finals.

Let’s take a look at this again near the end of the elimination round.

Sometimes I hear the phrase “I prefer commercial over free software or open source software” which has this connotation that the opposite of free–that is is #freeasinfreedom–and open source software is commercial software. This is not the case. I feel like we need to set the record straight that the opposite of free and open source isn’t commercial, it’s proprietary.

Open source (and openness in general) is a philosophy as much as it is a software development approach and nowhere in this philosophy does it say that open source software cannot be commercial. In fact, the open source definition (https://opensource.org/osd) specifically states that open source software must not be restricted from a specific field of endeavor–e.g. open source software cannot be restricted from being used in a business. Even if we go to the Four Essential Freedoms of Free Software (https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html), nowhere does it say there that free software cannot be used commercially.

Free and open source software (FOSS) isn’t about whether it is commercial or not, it’s about freedom and respecting the user’s freedom. Open source software, more so free software, provides you with the freedoms to access, use, modify, and share the software. If this involves commercial purposes, you have the freedom to do so with FOSS. This isn’t necessarily the case with proprietary software. Proprietary software restricts the user’s freedom. It may not allow you to freely access the software without a license or account; it may put restrictions on what you can do with the software and how you can utilize it; it may even prevent you from sharing the software with your friends without first procuring another license or committing something illegal–i.e. pirating software.

BNHR is a staunch advocate of freedom and openness especially in the fields of software and technology. While some may say that software is just a tool and you should choose the best tool for the job, I say that choosing free and open source software–the option that respects the user’s freedom–has value in itself and that even though using FOSS may not necessarily make you a better analyst, developer, or GIS person than someone who uses proprietary options, the choice to use FOSS still matters. But that’s a post for another time.

So remember, if there is a divide, it isn’t between FOSS and commercial software. It’s between FOSS and proprietary software. Both can be used commercially but one provides you with freedoms and respects your freedom while the other restricts it.

Don’t forget to like, follow, and share us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for more openness, data, and geospatial stuff. Cheers!

1. Basketball is spatial. The concepts of space, location, and time are ubiquitous in basketball. In any event that happens in a basketball game – a made shot, a missed shot, a rebound, a steal, a foul – there is spatial and spatio-temporal information embedded in that event and, without a doubt, location has an effect on these basketball events. This is specially true when looking at shooting and field goals because…

2. Players shoot differently at different locations on the court. When we say that Player A shoots 50% from the field while Player B shoots 40% from the field, although it seems like we are talking about the same “field” (i.e. the basketball court), we aren’t really pertaining to the same “field”. Player A could be a 50% shooter but only takes shots from the paint while Player B, the lowly 40% shooter, only takes three-pointers. In this case, Player B actually scores more efficiently than Player B – 1.2 points per attempt (PPA) vs 1.0 for Player A. Advanced statistics like PPA, effective Field Goal % (eFG), and True Shooting Percentage (TS%) account for the difference in points scored by 2pt FG, 3pt FG, and free throws but they do not account for the difference in points scored due to where players take shots. In general…

3. Conventional statistics that measure shooting performance and ability do not incorporate the effects of location thus failing to account for the spatial nature of the sport. How do we define a good shooter? Is it someone who simply makes a high percentage of his shots like a center or power forward who dominates the interior but rarely takes shots outside the paint? Is it someone who can make shots that are far from the basket, a three-point specialist perhaps? Or is it someone who is a threat to score everywhere on the court even though they may not shoot particularly well overall? When answering this question, conventional statistics such as FG%, 3P%, PPA, eFG, and TS% provide a generalized version of a player’s shooting or scoring ability but they don’t tell us the locations where players shoot and how well they shoot at these locations. This is disappointing because, when you think about it, being able to pinpoint where a player or team scores is a powerful tool to have when creating basketball strategies and game plans.

4. The current methods used in the country that try to account for the spatial nature of shooting are limited and arbitrary. In the Philippine setting, the most common techniques for showing shooting ability on the court are shot charts and shooting zones. Shot charts show where field goals are taken and whether they scored or not but provide little analytical information beyond that. Shooting zones provide more information but the way the court is divided for analysis is arbitrary.

5. The Philippines is a basketball-crazed country. Basketball is probably one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sport in the Philippines. A lot of kids grow up wanting to become pro ballers. Basketball courts are literally everywhere. Basketball players and teams enjoy celebrity status. Basketball itself is ingrained in our culture. Rafe Bartholomew even wrote about our love affair with basketball in Pacific Rims. We Filipinos will probably never wow the world with our height. Pinoy basketball has always been about heart – PUSO – but I think it’s also good to put brains – UTAK – with that PUSO. Different people may have different views on analytics in basketball but I think that, when used properly, it could be give a team that slight advantage it needs to win.

The what

We need a better way to analyze field goal shooting in the Philippines. One that incorporates the spatial aspect of shooting.

The research

The research proposes better methods and metrics for analyzing, visualizing, and describing the geography of field goals in the UAAP by using spatial analysis.

This idea isn’t particularly new. Over the past decade, there’s been a rise in the use of analytics, specifically spatial analytics, in basketball leagues overseas. This is specially true for leagues with player tracking systems that extract large amounts of spatial and spatio-temporal data during basketball games – something like the NBA with its SportsVU Player Tracking System. In fact, using these datasets, Dr. Kirk Goldsberry was able to tell the story about how the NBA has changed through visual and spatial analytics in his book Sprawlball.

Now, I know that what I want for the research can be done. The question is how can it be done and applied in the Philippines. With this research, I want to address two main problems:

1. How do we best characterize the geography of field goals in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament (MBT)?
   • How do we identify shooting zones and areas stochastically and empirically?
2. How can we better understand and compare the shooting and scoring abilities of players in a way that incorporates the spatial aspect of shooting?
   • How do we describe a good shooter and do we differentiate him from a bad one?
   • Who are the best and worst shooters/scorers in the UAAP?
   • Where and how do the best and worst shooters / teams take their field goals?

The research objectives

To address these problems, I set out three (3) objectives for the research:

1. Spatially characterize and visualize field goals in UAAP Season 81.
   • Map the shooting and scoring geography.
   • Determine the parts/zones that make up the field goal geography.
   • Group players based on their shooting tendencies.
2. Generate spatial metrics for analyzing shooting tendencies and abilities.
   • Determine how better or poorer a player shoots/scores compared to the rest of the league
   • Determine how better or poorer a player shoots/scores compared to similar players
   • Rank the best, the worst, the most efficient, and the least efficient shooters
3. Create and share a spatial dataset of field goals that can be used for further research.

Related literature

– COMING SOON –

Methodology

– COMING SOON –

Outputs

– COMING SOON –

You can watch a video of the presentation (in Filipino + English) below.

The style is available from the QGIS Styles Repository or on GitHub.

To load the styles in QGIS:

• you can download the Style XML file located here or in the QGIS Style Repository and Import it as File in the QGIS Style Manager;
• you can simply import the style from this URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/benhur07b/qgis-style-hlurb-land-use-zoning-color-codes/main/styles/hlurb-luc-color-coding-2014.xml.

To do this:

• Go to Settings -> Style Manager… in the Menu bar. This will open the Style Manager Window.
• On the bottom left of the Style Manager Window, click Import/Export -> Import Items. This will open the Import Item(s) dialog.
  • If you select File in the Import From option, select the XML file you downloaded.
  • If you select URL in the Import From option, use this URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/benhur07b/qgis-style-hlurb-land-use-zoning-color-codes/main/styles/hlurb-luc-color-coding-2014.xml
    • Click Fetch items
• A preview of the styles should be available for selection.
• Select all styles (or just the styles you want).
• Click Import.
• IF A WARNING APPEARS THAT THE STYLE ALREADY EXISTS AND ASKS YOU IF YOU WANT TO OVERWRITE IT, JUST CLICK YES TO ALL OR NO TO ALL
• The styles should now be available under the HLURB LUC Color Coding (2014) tag and can be used for styling your layers.

You can watch the video below if you want to follow along.

Pull Requests and Updates are welcome especially if you have a more updated version of the guidebook.

In this example, we will select and extract duplicate geometries/features from a polygon layer.

Check if there are duplicates using the Topology Checker

Here we have a polygon layer aptly named “With duplicates”. We know that it has duplicates because if we run the Topology checker on the layer with a Rule “must not have duplicates”, it returns 250 errors.

Use the DB Manager to run a query that lists all geometries with duplicates

Now that we know that we have duplicates, how can we select the features and their duplicates. Well, since we know that duplicate geometries technically have the same geometry, we can utilize a simple SQL query to list down the geometries with duplicates in our table.

Open the DB Manager via Database -> DB Manager.

Layers don’t need to be inside databses like PostGIS or a geopackage for it to be used in the DB Manager. Layers loaded in your current project can also be used by the DB Manager. You can see the fields and features of layers in the DB Manager. You can also create a query to run on your layer.

After opening a SQL Window, type the query below. This query selects the geometries that have duplicates in the layer. Click Execute to run the query.

select * from
(select *, count(geometry) as num_geom from "With duplicates" group by geometry) as a
where a.num_geom > 1

Note that the outputted table is not the table of duplicates but the table of geometries with duplicates. Each one of these geometries can have multiple duplicates. To load this table as a layer in QGIS, check Load as new layer and provide a Layer name (prefix). Since this layer has a geometry field, it can be loaded with geometry.

The output should be a layer of the geometries with duplicates.

Use the Select by location algorithm to select all features in the original layer that are equal to the features with duplicates

Now that we have a layer of the geometries/features with duplicates, we can use the Select by location algorithm to find geometries/features in our original layer that are equal to the geometries/features with duplicates.

Now you have the geometries/features with duplicates selected. You can extract or save this selection by Right-cliking on the layer -> Export -> Save selected features as…. Your output/saved layer will be the duplicate features from the original layer.

You can watch the video below if you want to follow along.

DPWH or the Department of Public Works and Highways has [GIS Web Apps for Roads and Bridges Inventory, Road Traffic Information, and Detailed Bridge Inventory. If you take a peek at these web apps, you will notice that these are hosted on an ArcGIS Map and Feature Servers. The layers there, when not set to private, can be accessed from outside clients such as QGIS. Here’s how:

• Go to Browser Panel -> Right-click on ArcGIS Feature Service -> New connection.
• Enter the following details:

Name: DPWH
URL: https://apps.dpwh.gov.ph/ArcGIS/rest/services

• Click OK

You should now be able to see the databases and layers inside the said Feature Service from the QGIS Browser.

And load said layers in QGIS.

You can do the same with ArcGIS Map Service if you just want the tiles instead of the features.

Lastly, if you need road or building footprint data, you can just use OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap data can easily be loaded in QGIS by using the QuickOSM plugin as shown in this post

P.S. Please be a responsible data user. :)

First of all, you can find which version of QGIS you are using by going to Help -> Check QGIS Version on the Menu bar.

Is there a schedule that QGIS follows for releasing versions?

Yes. QGIS follows a timebased schedule or roadmap that you can find here or below.

Event Legend

What do the numbers in the QGIS versions mean?

Each QGIS release is specified by three numbers (X,Y,Z). For example, QGIS 3.16.4. What does the 3, 16, and 4 pertain to?

The X is the main version of QGIS. In our example above, that pertains to 3 because we are in QGIS 3.

The Y pertains to the release version. A release version is always an even number: 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, …, 3.16. This is because odd numbers are reserved for the development versions where active development of QGIS happens before it is released. For example, QGIS 3.15 is the develpment version for QGIS 3.16 and QGIS 3.17 is the development version that eventually becomes released as QGIS 3.18.

The Z pertains to which Point Release (PR) it is of the release version. A Point Release is released every month for each of the Long Term Release (LTR) and Latest Release (LR) branches.

In our 3.16.4 example:

• It is based on QGIS 3
• It is based on the 3.16 release version
• It is the 4th Point Release of the 3.16 version

How many branches does QGIS have?

We mentioned the LTR and LR branches above but what do they mean? Technically, QGIS has three branches that a user can download/install. These are the Long Term Release (LTR) branch, Latest Release (LR) branch, and the Development (Nightly) branch. As a user, the branches that are usually important to us are the LTR and LR branches as these hold the release versions of QGIS. The development or nightly branch is based on the most recent version of the QGIS source code but is useful if you want to test, debug, or help in the development of QGIS.

So what does LTR, LR, and PR mean?

LTR and LR are designations as to the kind of release.

Long Term Release (LTR) is named that way because it is maintained and receives bug fixes until the next LTR is released. Currently, that means one (1) year. The current LTR release version is 3.10.Z but it will be replaced by 3.16.4 by February 2021.

Latest Release (LR) refers to the release version of QGIS that containst he most recent or latest features. A new LR is released every four (4) months. For example, a new 3.16 LR was released this October 2020. The next LR (3.18) will be released 4 months from now which is on February 2021. Currently, every 3rd LR becomes the next LTR. For example, the LTR this October 2020 is the 3.10 release. The 3rd LR from 3.10 is 3.16 (1st is 3.12, 2nd is 3.14, 3rd is 3.16) therefore the next LTR will be based on the 3.16 release version. During the first four months after the release of the new designated LTR (in this case 3.16.0 in October 2020), it won’t immediately replace the currecnt LTR in the LTR repositories. It will replace the Old LTR once the new LR (in this case 3.18.0 on February 2021) is released.

Point Release (PR) refers to the monthly release of QGIS. Each month, a Point Release is released for both the LTR and LR branches. The PR for the LTR contains bug-fixes while the PR for the LR contains both bug-fixes and new features.

But what about the nightly or development version?

The development or nightly version is based on the most recent version of the source code available on the master branch of QGIS.

• This version has the most recent (bleeding-edge) features but most of them might not have been fully tested and could include some bugs.
• This versions is great if you want to test new features before they are officially released.
• This version is not receommended for use in production environments or those the require a stable version of QGIS.

What is the QGIS development cycle and when are versions released?

As mentioned above, QGIS follows a consistent development cycle. Some of the notable things about this are:

• A new release version is released every 4 months.
• In those 4 months, the first 3 are for feature development and bug-fixing. During the last month of the release cycle, a feature freeze is implemented where no new developments or features are added and the efforts are focused on testing, bug-fixing, translations, packaging, and other preparation for the release.
• Every month, a Point Release for the LTR and LR branches are released.

Which version should I use?

It depends

• If you need a version that is maintained for a longer time and you don’t necessarily need new features as they are released then the LTR version might be for you.
• If you need to have the most recent features and don’t mind doing an upgrade every few months, the LR version just might be for you.
• Sometimes it’s also good to take a look at the development or nightly versions especially if you are curious or excited about the upcoming features in QGIS.

TL;DR

• There are three (3) branches or versions of QGIS that you can easily install: the Long Term Release (LTR), Latest Release (LR), and Development (Nightly)
• The LTR receives bug fixes until the next LTR is released (currently 1 year) but may not have new features that are in the LR.
• The LR has the most recent (tested) features of QGIS.
• Every 4 months, a new release version is released for the LTR and LR branches.
• Every month, a Point Release is released for the LTR and LR branches.

BONUS 1: Quantum GIS or QGIS?

You’ve probably heard the name Quantum GIS or seen it used interchangebly with QGIS, especially those who became acquainted with QGIS during its version 0 and 1 days but did you know that since QGIS 2 in 2013, QGIS has officially changed its name from Quantum GIS to QGIS. In fact, QGIS prefers being called and refered to as QGIS instead of Quantuam GIS.

BONUS 2: Names of versions

Currently, the names of QGIS versions are based ont he places where QGIS User Conference at Developer Meetings where previously held such as Hannover, București, A Coruña, Zanzibar, Madiera, etc. The exception is QGIS 3.14 which was named after Pi.

Prior to this, the names of QGIS versions were based on the moons of Saturn and Jupiter as well as some other things (pets if I’m not mistaken).

And those are some thigns about QGIS versions and its release cycle. What’s your favorite QGIS version?

Like and follow BNHR on Facebook and Twitter for more #FOSS4G and #QGIS stuff. :)

Una sa lahat, maari mong malaman ang version ng QGIS na gamit mo at iba pang impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng Help -> Check QGIS Version mula sa Menu bar.

Mayroon bang schedule na sinusunod ang QGIS sa paglalabas ng bagong bersyon?

Mayroon. Ang release at development ng QGIS ay sumusunod sa isang timebased schedule or roadmap. Ang schedule o roadmap na nito ay maaring makita dito o sa ibaba.

Event Legend

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng mga numero sa bersyon ng QGIS?

Makikita natin na ang bawat bersyon ng QGIS ay may kaakibat na tatlong numero (X, Y, Z). Halimbawa, QGIS 3.10.11. Ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng 3, 10, at 11?

Ang X ay ang main version ng QGIS. Sa ngayon, tayo ay nasa QGIS 3 na. Kaya ang mga release ng QGIS ay nagsisimula sa QGIS 3.

Ang Y ay kung anong release version ito. Ang release version ay sinisimbulo ng isang even number. Halimbawa: 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, 3.12, 3.14, 3.16, 3.18, etc. Bakit nga ba sila even numbers? Ito ay dahil ang odd numbers ay nakareserba para sa development versions o yung mga bersyon kung saan nagaganap ang development ng QGIS bago sila i-release. Halimbawa: ang QGIS 3.1 ay ang development version para sa QGIS 3.2, ang QGIS 3.3 ay ang development version para sa QGIS 3.4.

Ang Z ay sumisimbulo kung pang-ilang Point Release (PR) na ito sa release version.

Bumalik tayo sa QGIS 3.10.11, ang ibig sabihin ng mga numerong ito ay:

• Ito ay base sa QGIS 3
• Ito ay base sa 3.10 release version
• Ito ang ika-labing-isa (11th) point release sa 3.10 version

Ilang branches ba mayroon ang QGIS?

Technically, mayroong tatlong branches ang QGIS na maari mong idownload/install. Ito ay ang Long Term Release (LTR) branch, Latest Release (LR) branch, at ang Development (Nightly) branch. Bilang isang user, madalas ang mahalagang branches lang na kailangan natin ay ang LTR at LR branch. Ang development o nightly branch ay ang bersyon ng QGIS na nakabase sa pinakabagong bersyon ng source code ng QGIS at hindi ganun kasigurado ang stability nito ngunit kung nais mong ma-test o makita ang mga paparating na features ng QGIS, sa development o nightly branch mo sila mahahanap.

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng LTR, LR, at PR?

Ang LTR, LR ay designations kung anong uri ng release ang bersyon na iyon. Tulad ng nabanggit sa itaas may LTR at LR branches (o bersyon) ng QGIS na maari nating i-install.

Ang Long Term Release (LTR) ay tinatawag na ganito sapagkat ito ay maintained at nakakatangap ng bug-fixes hanggang ilabas ang susunod na LTR. Sa ngayon, pinag-uusapan pa kung itataas ang length of support para sa LTR branch sa dalawang (2) taon mula sa kasalukuyang (1) taon. Sa kasalukuyan, ang LTR ay 3.10.11 subalit ito ay mapapalitan ng 3.16.4 sa Pebrero 2021.

Ang Latest Release (LR) ay ang release version ng QGIS na naglalaman ng mga pinakabagong featues nito. May bagong LR na inilalabas bawat apat na buwant. Halimbawa, ang 3.16 LR ay inilabas ngayong buwan ng Oktubre, ang susunod na LR (3.18) ay ilalabas apat na buwan mula ngayon sa Pebrero. Sa kasalukuyan, ang bawat ika-tatlong LR ay ang nagiging susunod na LTR. Halimbawa, ang LTR ngayon ay ang 3.10 release. Ang ikatlong release mula sa 3.10 ay 3.16 (3.10, 3.12, 3.14, 3.16) kaya ang susunod na LTR ay nakabase sa 3.16 release version.

Sa unang apat na buwan matapos ang release ng bagong designated LTR (3.16.0), hindi nito agad pinapalitan ang nakaraan LTR sa LTR repositories. Papalitan niya lamang ito kapag nailabas na din ang bagong LR (3.18.0).

Ano naman ang nightly o development version?

Ang development o nightly na bersyon ay nakabase sa pinaka-recent na bersyon ng source code ng QGIS (master branch). Ang source code na ito ay maaring makita dito.

• Ang bersyon na ito ang may pinaka-bagong mga features (bleeding-edge) subalit karamihan sa kanila ay hindi pa natetest ng lubusan kaya maaring mayroon pa ding mga bugs.
• The best ang bersyon na ito kung gusto mong i-test ang mga nasabing bagong features.
• Hindi recommended ang bersyon na ito para sa production use o kung kailangan mo ng stable working environment.

Ano ang development cycle ng QGIS at kailan sila nagrerelease ng mga bagong bersyon?

Tulad nga ng makikita sa itaas, consistent ang development cycle ng QGIS. Narito ang ilang bagay na kailangan mong malaman.

• Kada apat (4) na buwan ay may bagong release version na nilalabas.
• Sa apat na buwan na ito, ang unang tatlong (3) buwan ay nakalaan para sa development ng mga bagong features pati na rin sa pag-aayos ng mga bugs. Sa huling buwan ng release cycle, nagkakaroon ng tinatawag na feature freeze kung saan wala nang bagong developments or features at magsisimula ng magfocus sa testing, bug-fixing, translations, at paghahanda para sa release.
• Subalit, kada buwan ay naglalabas ng Point Release (PR) para sa LTR at LR branch. Ang PR sa LTR branch ay naglalaman ng mga bug-fixes. Ang PR naman sa LR branch ay naglalaman ng bug-fixes at mga bagong features.

Anong bersyon ang dapat kong gamitin?

Depende sa user. Kung kailangan mo ng bersyon na supported ng mas matagal at hindi mo naman masyadong kailangan ang mga bagong features, mainam gamitin ang LTR. Kung ang nais mo naman ay magkaroon ng mga pinakabagong features ng QGIS at hindi issue ang pag-uupgrade kada ilang buwan, mainam gamitin ang LR. Mainam din minsan tingnan ang Development version lalo na kung curious or excited kang magamit ang mga paparating na features ng QGIS.

TL;DR

• May tatlong branches (o bersyon) ng QGIS na maaring i-install: Long Term Release (LTR), Latest Release (LR), o Development (Nightly).
• Ang LTR ay makakatangap ng bug-fixes hanggang ilabas ang susunod na LTR subalit maaring wala itong mga features na mayroon sa LR.
• Ang LR naman ay nagtataglay ng mga pinaka-bagong features ng QGIS.
• Bawat apat na buwan ay may bagong release version na nilalabas para sa LTR at LR.
• Bawat buwan ay may Point Release na nilalabas para sa LTR at LR.

BONUS 1: Quantum GIS ba o QGIS?

Marahil ay nakilala natin ang QGIS noong kabataan niya kung kailan kilala pa siya bilang Quantum GIS subalit alam niyo ba na simula QGIS 2 (2013) ay opisyal nang pinalitan ang pangalan sa QGIS mula sa Quantum GIS. Samakatuwid, mas mainam na gamitin ang QGIS o Q imbes na Quantum GIS sa pagtukoy ng QGIS.

BONUS 2: Mga pangalan ng bersyon

Sa kasalukuyan, ang mga pangalan ng bersyon ng QGIS ay hango sa mga lugar kung saan ginanap ang mga nakaraang QGIS User Conference at Developer Meetings tulad ng Hannover, București, A Coruña, Zanzibar, Madiera, etc. Isang exception ay ang QGIS 3.14 na pinangalanang Pi.

Bago nito, ang pangalan ng mga bersyon ng QGIS noon ay hango sa mga buwan ng Saturn at Jupiter.

At iyan ang mga bagay ukol sa mga bersyon at release cycle ng QGIS. Ikaw, anong bersyon ang gamit o paborito mo? Maari ring mag-iwan ng katanungan o kumento sa ibaba.

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