So far, we have used PostGIS as a vector and raster tool, using relatively simple relationships between objects and simple structures. In this chapter, we review an additional PostGIS-related extension: pgRouting. pgRouting allows us to interrogate graph structures in order to answer questions such as "What is the shortest route from where I am to where I am going?" This is an area that is heavily occupied by the existing web APIs (such as Google, Bing, MapQuest, and others) and services, but it can be better served by rolling our own services for many use cases. Which cases? It might be a good idea to create our own services in situations where we are trying to answer questions that aren't answered by the existing services; where the data available to us is better or more applicable; or where we need or want to avoid the terms of service conditions for these APIs.
PostGIS Cookbook - Second Edition
By :
PostGIS Cookbook - Second Edition
By:
Overview of this book
PostGIS is a spatial database that integrates the advanced storage and analysis of vector and raster data, and is remarkably flexible and powerful. PostGIS provides support for geographic objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database and is currently the most popular open source spatial databases.
If you want to explore the complete range of PostGIS techniques and expose related extensions, then this book is for you.
This book is a comprehensive guide to PostGIS tools and concepts which are required to manage, manipulate, and analyze spatial data in PostGIS. It covers key spatial data manipulation tasks, explaining not only how each task is performed, but also why. It provides practical guidance allowing you to safely take advantage of the advanced technology in PostGIS in order to simplify your spatial database administration tasks. Furthermore, you will learn to take advantage of basic and advanced vector, raster, and routing approaches along with the concepts of data maintenance, optimization, and performance, and will help you to integrate these into a large ecosystem of desktop and web tools.
By the end, you will be armed with all the tools and instructions you need to both manage the spatial database system and make better decisions as your project's requirements evolve.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Title Page
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Free Chapter
Moving Data In and Out of PostGIS
Structures That Work
Working with Vector Data – The Basics
Working with Vector Data – Advanced Recipes
Working with Raster Data
Working with pgRouting
Into the Nth Dimension
PostGIS Programming
PostGIS and the Web
Maintenance, Optimization, and Performance Tuning
Using Desktop Clients
Introduction to Location Privacy Protection Mechanisms
Other Books You May Enjoy
Index
Customer Reviews