ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Web Feature Service

Imagine you are playing with a big box of colorful Legos. You have a set of instructions that show you how to build a specific Lego castle. You think it looks cool, so you start building it.

Now imagine you want to share this castle with your friend who lives far away. But you don't want to send them the physical Lego set or the instructions, because that would be too hard. Instead, you take a photo of the finished castle and send it to them.

A web feature service is kind of like taking a photo of your Lego castle and sending it to someone. But instead of a Lego castle, it's a map or set of geographic data. The map or data is stored on a computer somewhere, and the web feature service is a way to access and use that map or data without actually having it on your own computer.

So if you are a scientist studying the weather in a particular area, you might use a web feature service to access a map showing wind patterns and temperature data for that area. Or if you are a city planner, you might use a web feature service to access information about where different types of buildings are located in your city.

The web feature service works by sending requests and receiving responses. Kind of like asking your mom for a glass of milk and her bringing it to you. You send a request to the computer where the map or data is stored, asking for specific information. The computer processes your request and sends back a response with the information you need.

Overall, web feature services make it easier for people to access and use important geographic data without having to physically store it on their own computers.