OpenRefine GEO Extension

Official OpenRefine extension that adds geographic functions to OpenRefine for coordinate conversion and distance calculations.

Compatibility: OpenRefine 3.8+ Implements: OpenRefine Issue #6570

Functions

decToGMS(decimal, coordType)

Converts decimal degrees to degrees, minutes, seconds format.

Parameters:

• decimal (number): Decimal degrees coordinate
• coordType (string, optional): 'lat', 'lng', or 'lon' for proper directional indicators

Returns: String in DMS format (e.g., "40° 42' 46.08" N")

Examples:

decToGMS(40.7128)                    // "40° 42' 46.08\""
decToGMS(40.7128, "lat")             // "40° 42' 46.08\" N"
decToGMS(-74.0060, "lng")            // "74° 0' 21.60\" W"
decToGMS(-33.8688, "lat")            // "33° 52' 7.68\" S"

geoDistance(lat1, lng1, lat2, lng2, unit)

Calculates the great circle distance between two coordinate pairs using the Haversine formula.

Parameters:

• lat1 (number): First point latitude (-90 to 90)
• lng1 (number): First point longitude (-180 to 180)
• lat2 (number): Second point latitude (-90 to 90)
• lng2 (number): Second point longitude (-180 to 180)
• unit (string, optional): 'm' (meters, default), 'km' (kilometers), or 'mi' (miles)

Returns: Number representing distance in specified unit

Examples:

geoDistance(40.7128, -74.0060, 34.0522, -118.2437)         // Distance in meters
geoDistance(40.7128, -74.0060, 34.0522, -118.2437, "km")   // Distance in kilometers
geoDistance(40.7128, -74.0060, 34.0522, -118.2437, "mi")   // Distance in miles

Installation

This extension is built as part of the OpenRefine build process. The functions are automatically registered when OpenRefine starts.

Implementation Notes

• Uses the Haversine formula for accurate great circle distance calculations
• Validates coordinate ranges (latitude: -90 to 90, longitude: -180 to 180)
• Handles edge cases like poles and international date line
• Comprehensive error handling with descriptive error messages

Contributing

For bug reports or feature requests, please use the main OpenRefine issue tracker at https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/issues.

License

This extension is licensed under the same BSD license as OpenRefine.