r.support(1)

NAME
r.support - Allows creation and/or modification of raster map layer support files.

KEYWORDS
raster, metadata

SYNOPSIS
r.support
r.support --help
r.support [-bsnd] map=name [title=phrase] [history=phrase] [units=string] [vdatum=string] [source1=phrase] [source2=phrase] [description=phrase] [raster=string] [loadhistory=name] [savehistory=name] [semantic_label=phrase] [--overwrite] [--help] [--verbose] [--quiet] [--ui]

  Flags:

-b
    Delete the semantic label

-s
    Update statistics (histogram, range)

-n
    Create/reset the null file

-d
    Delete the null file

--overwrite
    Allow output files to overwrite existing files

--help
    Print usage summary

--verbose
    Verbose module output

--quiet
    Quiet module output

--ui
    Force launching GUI dialog

  Parameters:

map=name [required]
    Name of raster map

title=phrase
    Title for resultant raster map

history=phrase
    Text to append to the next line of the map’s metadata file

units=string
    Text to use for map data units

vdatum=string
    Text to use for map vertical datum

source1=phrase
    Text to use for data source, line 1

source2=phrase
    Text to use for data source, line 2

description=phrase
    Text to use for data description or keyword(s)

raster=string
    Raster map from which to copy category table

loadhistory=name
    Text file from which to load history

savehistory=name
    Text file in which to save history

semantic_label=phrase
    Semantic label e.g. S2_8A

DESCRIPTION
r.support allows the user to create and/or edit raster map support information. Editing of raster map color tables, category labels, header, history, semantic label elements and title is supported. Category labels can also be copied from another raster map.

  Raster semantic labels and band management
Raster semantic label concept is similar to dimension name in other GIS and remote sensing applications. Most common usage will be assigning a remote sensing platform sensor band identifier to the raster map metadata, although any identifier is supported (see i.band.library). Raster semantic label is suggested to work with imagery classification tools.

EXAMPLES
These examples are based on the North Carolina dataset, more specifically the landuse raster map. Copy the landuse map to the current mapset

g.copy raster=landuse,my_landuse

  Update statistics

r.support -s map=my_landuse

  Update Title

r.support map=my_landuse title="Landuse copied"

  Append to History Metadata

r.support map=my_landuse history="Copied from PERMANENT mapset"

  Update Units Display

r.support map=my_landuse units=meter

  Set semantic label
Note: landuse map doesn’t confirm to CORINE specification. This is an example only.

r.support map=my_landuse semantic_label=CORINE_LULC

NOTES
If metadata options such as title or history are given the module will run non-interactively. If only the map name is given r.support will run interactively within a terminal shell and the user with be prompted for input.

Freeform metadata information is stored in a "hist" file which may be appended to by using the history option. Currently this is limited to 50 lines of text with a maximum line length of 78 characters. Any input larger than this will be wrapped to the next line. All other metadata strings available as standard options are limited to 79 characters.

SEE ALSO
i.band.library, r.category, r.describe, r.info, r.null, r.region, r.report, r.semantic.label, r.timestamp

AUTHORS
Micharl Shapiro, CERL: Original author
Brad Douglas: GRASS 6 Port
M. Hamish Bowman: command line enhancements
Markus Neteler: category copy from other map
Maris Nartiss: semantic label management

SOURCE CODE

Available at: r.support source code (history)

Accessed: Saturday May 09 12:59:40 2026

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