How can I edit and save feature attributes of a WMS layer in OpenLayers?

Question

I am creating a data editing application in OpenLayers where the user will need to be able to edit the attributes of features (which are stored on a GeoServer installation). I have seen documentation for editing features in a WFS layer, but I haven't found anything detailing how to edit the attributes of a feature in a WMS layer. Is this feasible to do using a WMS layer?

I am currently retrieving data from GeoServer using the GetFeatureInfo request. I would like to load this data into a div, modify it, then save it back to the server. I haven't seen any examples of OpenLayers maps doing this, but I feel like it should involve a simple POST request to the server.

Answer 1

This is not possible - a WMS just sends you a picture of the data. You need to use a WFS which sends you the actual data. You can then use WFS-T to send back the changes.

• Tanner: Thanks for the quick response. I had assumed that since you could get the feature info with GetFeatureInfo, you could also set it somehow (without the need of WFS). Thanks again.