Book Image

Mastering PostGIS

By : Dominik Mikiewicz, Michal Mackiewicz , Tomasz Nycz
Book Image

Mastering PostGIS

By: Dominik Mikiewicz, Michal Mackiewicz , Tomasz Nycz

Overview of this book

PostGIS is open source extension onf PostgreSQL object-relational database system that allows GIS objects to be stored and allows querying for information and location services. The aim of this book is to help you master the functionalities offered by PostGIS- from data creation, analysis and output, to ETL and live edits. The book begins with an overview of the key concepts related to spatial database systems and how it applies to Spatial RMDS. You will learn to load different formats into your Postgres instance, investigate the spatial nature of your raster data, and finally export it using built-in functionalities or 3th party tools for backup or representational purposes. Through the course of this book, you will be presented with many examples on how to interact with the database using JavaScript and Node.js. Sample web-based applications interacting with backend PostGIS will also be presented throughout the book, so you can get comfortable with the modern ways of consuming and modifying your spatial data.
Table of Contents (9 chapters)

The conceptual model


Before we start working with topology, we need to discuss the key concepts behind the PostGIS topological data model. PostGIS topology implementation is based on ISO standard 13249 - Information technology - Database languages - SQL multimedia and application packages - Part 3: Spatial. The standard name is often abbreviated as ISO SQL/MM. This standard defines two data models for topology: TopoGeometry and TopoNetwork; PostGIS implements only the former.

In this model, there are three kinds of elements/primitives used to compose geospatial features: nodes, edges, and faces.

Nodes are point features. They can exist on their own (isolated nodes) or serve as connection points for linear features (the edges). For example, this is a Czech-Polish-Slovak tripoint near Jaworzynka village, which contains a node and three edges:

An example of topological data: a node and three edges

In topology, only one node can appear for a specified coordinate pair - if there are more nodes in...