Basic GIS Data Analysis

Operation
By Dechasa Ejara
ID ramit/488/09
 Topics

• Introduction
• Query
• Join/Relate
• Clip
• Buffering
• Editing
Objectives

GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Understand data analysis in GIS and also understand the tools
used in GIS for editing in detail.
Understand query, buffering and join/relate.
Understand GIS tools for data analysis operation, which is
 Query
 Join/Relate
 Editing
 Clip
 Buffering
 Introduction

 GIS analysis allows the study of real-world processes by

developing and applying models. Such models illuminate
underlying trends in the geographical data and thus make
new information available.
 A GIS enhances this process by providing tools, which can be
combined in meaningful sequences to develop new models.
 These models may reveal new or previously unidentified
relationships within and between data sets, thus increasing
our understanding of the real world.
 Cont…

 Queries are the most basic of analysis operations, in which

the GIS is used to answer simple questions posed by the
user. No changes occur in the database and no new data are
produced. Measurements are simple numerical values that
describe aspects of geographic data.
Query

 A query layer is a layer or stand-alone table that is

defined by a SQL query. Query layers allow both spatial
and nonspatial information stored in a DBMS to be easily
integrated into GIS projects within ArcMap. spatial
information used by a query layer is not required to be in
a geodatabase.
 When working in ArcMap, you create query layers by defining
a SQL query. The query is then run against the tables and
views in a database, and the result set is added to ArcMap as a
layer or stand-alone table (depending on the query).
Cont…

 The power of geographic analysis is the ability to

ask and answer questions about geographic features
and their attributes and the relationship between
them.
 This is what is known as a Query or selection. A
query chooses a subset of records from the database.
Queries may be simple, only searching for one
feature, or more complex, selecting a group of
features. Basic query operations may be combined to
select complex sets of information.
Cont…

The query is executed every time the layer is displayed or

used in ArcMap. This allows the latest information to be
visible without making a copy or snapshot of the data and is
especially useful when working with dynamic information
that is frequently changing. The query layers functionality
works with any of the DBMSs supported by ArcGIS.
Query layers allow ArcMap to integrate data from geodatabases as
well as from DBMSs.
 Cont…

Database queries — use set algebra and Boolean algebra. Set algebra uses
the comparison operations less than, greater than, equal to and not equa
to. An example of set algebra is, "Show all the records that are greater th
or equal to X". Boolean algebra uses the words And, Or, Like and Not. Bot
of these types of queries focus on the features and attributes that are in
the dataset.
Spatial queries — use spatial logic. For example, "Show all the X within a
relationship to space Y". It is more like Venn diagram logic. These queries
focus more on the physical relationships between datasets such as finding
all the rivers that are within a given state or all the states that are adjac
to a river.
Cont…
 Clip

  clip is to overlay a polygon on one or more target features

(layers) and extract from the target feature (or features) only
the target feature data that lies within the area outlined by
the clip polygon.
 In other words, the boundaries of the second polygon are
imposed on the first polygon.
 It is Cookie cutter approach
 Bounding polygon defines the clipped second layer
 Neither the bounding polygon attributes nor geographic
(spatial data) are included in the output layer
 Cont…

  clip is to overlay a polygon on one or more target features

(layers) and extract from the target feature (or features) only
the target feature data that lies within the area outlined by
the clip polygon.
 In other words, the boundaries of the second polygon are
imposed on the first polygon.
 It is Cookie cutter approach
 Bounding polygon defines the clipped second layer
 Neither the bounding polygon attributes nor geographic
(spatial data) are included in the output layer
Cont…
Union

 union is an analytical process in which the features

from two or more map layers are combined into a single,
composite layer. 

 Union includes the data from all the included layers,

meaning that overlapping and non-overlapping areas are
included in a new polygon.
 Cont…

 two different sets of information or layers can be put together into

a single set using a union operation. This can be done with most
mapping software systems in an internal algorithm that takes the
two layer inputs and outputs a composite of the two. An example
of when this can be used is in analyzing the habitat of many
different animals.
Cont…
 Intersection

 Intersect is an analytical operation that can be used to select any

part of a feature that intersects with one or more other features.
The areas of the map where all the input features intersect will
create a feature as the intersect output
 The Intersect tool calculates the geometric intersection
of any number of feature classes and feature layers. The
features, or portion of features, that are common to all
inputs (that is, they intersect) will be written to the
output feature class.
 Cont…

Determines the spatial reference for processing. This will also be the
spatial reference of the output feature class. For details on how this
is done, see Spatial Reference. All the input features are projected
into this spatial reference for processing.
Cracks and clusters the features. Cracking inserts vertices at the
intersection of feature edges; clustering snaps together vertices that
are within the xy tolerance.
Discovers geometric relationships (intersections) between features
from all the feature classes or layers.
Cont…
 merging

merging is a process in which input features from multiple

input sources (of the same data type) combined into a single,
new, output feature class .

 The input data sources may be point, line,

or polygon feature classes or tables. This operation differs
from aggregation in that it maintains the level of
dimensionality of the original data (point-to-point, line-to-
line, polygon-to-polygon).
 Cont…

 New parcels can be created by merging existing parcels in the

parcel fabric.
 Adjacent parcels can be merged to create a single parcel, and
disjoint parcels can be merged to create multipart parcels.
 Parcels being merged can be saved as historic parcels, kept
current, or deleted.
Cont…
 Join

Joining data is typically used to append the fields of one

table to those of another through an attribute or field
common to both tables. You can choose to define
the join based on either attributes or a predefined
geodatabase relationship class or by location
 Cont…

 Joining data is typically used to append the fields of one

table to those of another through an attribute or field
common to both tables. You can choose to define
the join based on either attributes or a predefined
geodatabase relationship class or by location
Cont…

 When editing joined data, you cannot edit the joined

columns directly. To edit the joined data, you must first
add the joined tables or layers to Arc Map. You can then
perform edits on this data separately. These changes
will be reflected in the joined columns
Cont…

 Relating tables simply defines a relationship between two

tables.
 A relate is similar to a simple relationship class except it
can involve data from different workspaces (such as a
dBase table can be related to a coverage) and is stored in
a layer file.
 The associated data isn't appended to the layer's
attribute table like it is with a join.
Cont..
Relate

 Relating tables simply defines a relationship between two

tables.
 A relate is similar to a simple relationship class except it
can involve data from different workspaces (such as a dBase
table can be related to a coverage) and is stored in a layer
file.
 The associated data isn't appended to the layer's attribute
table like it is with a join.
Cont…

Instead, you can access the related data when you work
with the layer's attributes.

 If you already have a relationship class set up for your

data, you can use it as you would a relate in Arc Map.
Cont…
 Buffering

 A buffer is a reclassification based on distance:

 classification of within/without a given proximity. 
 Buffering involves measuring distance outward in directions
from an object. 
 Buffering creates physical zones around features.
 Buffers are usually based on specific straight-line distances
from selected features.
 Cont…

 Buffers common to both raster and vector systems , are created

around point, line, or polygon features.

 The resulting buffers are placed in an output polygon feature

layer. Once complete buffers layer are used to determine which
features occur either within or outside the buffers , to perform
overlay or to measure the area of the buffer zone
Cont…
Editing

 Editing tools support diverse workflows ranging from

general mapping applications to specific industries
including utilities, land records, natural resources, and
facilities management. You can edit data from
geodatabases, feature services, GeoPackages, data in
SQLite databases, shapefiles, and data from collector apps
on mobile devices.
 Cont…

The types of edits you can perform include the following workflows:

Create or modify 2D and 3D features.

Create or modify annotation features, font type, style, and size of
text.
Edit feature attributes and related records and add or remove file
attachments.
Create 3D features from scratch or import 3D models.
Extrude 2D features or symbolize them as 3D features.
 Cont…

 Editing features is a common task of a GIS user. Features change

over time: think for example of a new residential area or highway.
Also, the attribute data of existing features may change. For
example, a parcel may change ownership over time, although its
geometry does not change. This information is stored in an attribute
table and can be edited by the user.
 There are two ways to start an edit session: by clicking the Editor
menu on the Editor toolbar or by right-clicking a layer in the table of
contents. If you right-click a layer in the table of contents, you
automatically start an edit session on the entire workspace containing
that layer.
Cont…
References

https://dusk.geo.orst.edu

https://umaine.edu/computingcoursesonline

https://tax.idaho.gov/ptt

https://sites.ualberta.ca/~ccn/teaching

wiki.gis.com