Geographic Information System (GIS)

CEN-203 Geomatics Engineering II` `

 Contents

1. Introduction to GIS 5. Digital Elevation Model

2. Vector Data 6. Buffering and Overlay
3. Raster Data 7. Spatial Analysis
4. Database Creation 8. Applications of GIS
 GIS as a database

Spatial data is associated with aspatial or non-spatial attributes

e.g. soil location has soil type, texture, color, pH, etc.

Generally dual database management systems are used. One

system to handle spatial data and another to handle associated
non-spatial data

Database is a collection of non-redundant data that can be

used by many programs/applications. Generally, database is
kept separate from the user, so that databases can be updated
without affecting the general flow of the program.
 Components of a database

Data includes numerical, text, date, logical data

Operations to sort, delete, select records from a database

Data Query Language to input, delete, edit, output data. E.g.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

File Structure to internally organize data

Data Definitions that define the field names, data types, length
of data within each field etc.
 Relational DBMS for GIS

Relational Database handles the complex relationships of

spatial data in the real world

Useful terminologies
1. A table is called a relation
2. Each row in a table is known as a record or a tuple.
3. Each column in a table is known as an attribute or field
4. Records of each type form a table. E.g. point feature table,
line feature table, polygon feature table
Relational DBMS for GIS

Building Name Purpose Employees

ID
1 Main Administrative 50
Building
2 Civil Engg. Department 48
 Relational DBMS for GIS: Keys

Primary Key is a subset of fields or attributes such that it is

unique for each record

Primary key is linked to a field in second table that is unique for

each record in the second table. The key in second table is
known as as a foreign key.

Building Name Purpose Employees Building Age floors

ID ID
1 Main Administrative 50 1 100 2
Building
2 60 1
2 Civil Engg. Department 48
 Relational DBMS for GIS: Query
You can query different files in a database to select records.
Basic set of operations to query records are union, intersection,
difference.
OR
Building Name Purpose Employees
ID
1 Main Administrative 50
Building
AND NOT
2 Civil Engg. Department 48

3 Academics Administrative 20
Select buildings with
purpose==‘administrative’ and
Building Age floors
floors==‘2’ ID
1 100 2

2 60 1

3 40 3
 Relational DBMS for GIS: Query
You can query different files in a database to select records.
Basic set of operations to query records are union, intersection,
difference.
OR
Building Name Purpose Employees
ID
1 Main Administrative 50
Building
AND NOT
2 Civil Engg. Department 48

3 Academics Administrative 20
Select buildings with
purpose==‘administrative’ or
Building Age floors
floors==‘2’ ID
1 100 2

2 60 1

3 40 3
 Relational DBMS for GIS: Query
You can query different files in a database to select records.
Basic set of operations to query records are union, intersection,
difference.
OR
Building Name Purpose Employees
ID
1 Main Administrative 50
Building
AND NOT
2 Civil Engg. Department 48

3 Academics Administrative 20
Select buildings with
purpose==‘administrative’ not
Building Age floors
floors==‘2’ ID
1 100 2

2 60 1

3 40 3
 References

NR 605-GIS, CSRE, IIT Bombay

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/natureofgeoinfo/c1_p7.html