Spatial Data Management

Guidance: This chapter introduces the spatial database, the comparison with the general database and the storage mode of the spatial database.

Then it introduces two important data structures in GIS: raster structure and vector structure, as well as their specific storage methods. Then it compares the characteristics of the two structures and gives their mutual conversion algorithm.

Finally, it introduces the commonly used technology of spatial retrieval-spatial index, and some commonly used spatial index methods, such as BSP tree, R tree, CELL tree, and the query function of spatial data.

Principles, Technologies, and Methods of Geographic Information Systems  102

In recent years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have undergone rapid development in both theoretical and practical dimensions. GIS has been widely applied for modeling and decision-making support across various fields such as urban management, regional planning, and environmental remediation, establishing geographic information as a vital component of the information era. The introduction of the “Digital Earth” concept has further accelerated the advancement of GIS, which serves as its technical foundation. Concurrently, scholars have been dedicated to theoretical research in areas like spatial cognition, spatial data uncertainty, and the formalization of spatial relationships. This reflects the dual nature of GIS as both an applied technology and an academic discipline, with the two aspects forming a mutually reinforcing cycle of progress.