Scripting Extension Overview¶

The scripting extension provides a number of extension points called “hooks” throughout GeoServer. Each hook provides a way to plug in functionality via a script. See the Scripting Hooks section for details on each of the individual scripting hooks.

Scripts are located in the GeoServer data directory under a directory named scripts. Under this directory exist a number of other directories, one for each scripting hook:

GEOSERVER_DATA_DIR/
  ...
  scripts/
    apps/
    function/
    lib/
    wfs/
      tx/
    wps/

The apps directory provides an “application” hook allowing for one to provide a script invokable over http.

The function directory provides a Filter Function hook allowing to create new custom functions to be used for example in WFS/WMS filtering or in SLD expressions, see Filter functions.

The lib directory is not a hook but is meant to be a location where common scripts/libraries may be placed. For instance this directory may be used as a common location for data structures and utility functions that may be utilized across many different scripts.

The wfs/tx directory provides a WFS Transactions hook allowing to intercept WFS transaction.

The wps directory provides a Web Processing Service (WPS) process hook to contribute a process invokable via WPS.

See Scripting Hooks for more details.

Creating scripts involves either creating a script in one of these hook directories or creating it with web user interface. New scripts are picked up automatically by GeoServer without a need to ever restart the server as is the case with a pure Java GeoServer extension.