1 What is a spatial database?
This chapter covers
- Spatial databases in problem solving
- Spatial data types
- Modeling with spatial in mind
- Why you might use PostGIS/PostgreSQL for a spatial database
- Loading and querying spatial data
Most folks experience their first spatially enabled application when they see pushpins tacked onto points of interest on an interactive map. This provides a glimpse into the vast and varied field of geographic information systems (GIS).
We’ll begin this chapter with a pushpin model. As we demonstrate its limited usefulness, we’ll introduce the need for a spatial database—not just any database, but PostGIS. PostGIS is a spatial database extender for the PostgreSQL database management system. We’ll provide a brief introduction ...
Get PostGIS in Action, Third Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
