Entities and Attributes of GIS Applications
In database design, entities represent real-world objects or concepts, while attributes describe their characteristics or properties. For a GIS application, common entities and their attributes include
Spatial Data:
- FeatureID (Primary Key): Unique identifier for each spatial feature.
- Geometry: Representation of the spatial geometry (e.g., point, line, polygon).
- Attributes: Additional attributes associated with the spatial feature (e.g., name, population, elevation).
Spatial Reference System (SRS):
- SRSID (Primary Key): Unique identifier for each spatial reference system.
- Name: Name or description of the spatial reference system (e.g., WGS84, UTM).
- Projection: Projection method used to represent geographic coordinates on a flat surface.
Spatial Index:
- IndexID (Primary Key): Unique identifier for each spatial index entry.
- FeatureID (Foreign Key): Reference to the spatial feature associated with the index entry.
- Bounding Box: Minimum bounding box (MBR) representing the spatial extent of the feature.
How to Design Databases for Geographical Information Systems
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have become integral tools for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data across various industries such as urban planning, environmental management, and logistics. Behind every GIS application lies a complex database architecture designed to store, retrieve, and manipulate geographical information efficiently.
In this article, we will learn about How to design databases for geographical information systems by understanding various aspects of the article in detail.