Postgis in Action, Third Edition - by Leo S Hsu & Regina Obe (Paperback)

About the Book

PostGIS in Action, Third Edition teaches you to solve real-world geodata problems. It first gives you a background in vector-, raster-, and topology-based GIS and then quickly moves into analyzing, viewing, and mapping data. You'll learn how to optimize queries for maximum speed, simplify geometries for greater efficiency, and create custom functions for your own applications. You'll also learn how to apply your existing GIS knowledge to PostGIS and integrate with other GIS tools.

Fully updated to the latest versions of PostGIS and PostgreSQL, this Third Edition covers new PostGIS features including Foreign Data Wrappers, Database as a Service, parallelization of queries, and new JSON and Vector Tiles functions that help in creating web mapping applications.

Key Features

- An introduction to spatial databases

- Geometry, geography, raster, and topology spatial types,

- functions, and queries

- Applying PostGIS to real-world problems

- Extending PostGIS to web and desktop applications

- Updated for PostGIS 3 and PostgreSQL 12

For readers familiar with relational databases and basic SQL.

About the technology

Processing location and topology data requires specialized know-how. PostGIS is a free spatial database extender for PostgreSQL that delivers the features and firepower you need to take on nearly any geodata task. With it, you can easily create location-aware queries in just a few lines of SQL code and build the back end for a mapping, raster analysis, or routing application with minimal effort.

Book Synopsis

PostGIS in Action, Third Edition shows you how to solve real-world geodata problems. You'll go beyond basic mapping, and explore custom functions for your applications.

Summary
In PostGIS in Action, Third Edition you will learn:

An introduction to spatial databases
Geometry, geography, raster, and topology spatial types, functions, and queries
Applying PostGIS to real-world problems
Extending PostGIS to web and desktop applications
Querying data from external sources using PostgreSQL Foreign Data Wrappers
Optimizing queries for maximum speed
Simplifying geometries for greater efficiency

PostGIS in Action, Third Edition teaches readers of all levels to write spatial queries for PostgreSQL. You'll start by exploring vector-, raster-, and topology-based GIS before quickly progressing to analyzing, viewing, and mapping data. This fully updated third edition covers key changes in PostGIS 3.1 and PostgreSQL 13, including parallelization support, partitioned tables, and new JSON functions that help in creating web mapping applications.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the technology
PostGIS is a spatial database extender for PostgreSQL. It offers the features and firepower you need to take on nearly any geodata task. PostGIS lets you create location-aware queries with a few lines of SQL code, then build the backend for mapping, raster analysis, or routing application with minimal effort.

About the book
PostGIS in Action, Third Edition shows you how to solve real-world geodata problems. You'll go beyond basic mapping, and explore custom functions for your applications. Inside this fully updated edition, you'll find coverage of new PostGIS features such as PostGIS Window functions, parallelization of queries, and outputting data for applications using JSON and Vector Tile functions.

What's inside

Fully revised for PostGIS version 3.1 and PostgreSQL 13
Optimize queries for maximum speed
Simplify geometries for greater efficiency
Extend PostGIS to web and desktop applications

About the reader
For readers familiar with relational databases and basic SQL. No prior geodata or GIS experience required.

About the author
Regina Obe and Leo Hsu are database consultants and authors. Regina is a member of the PostGIS core development team and the Project Steering Committee.

Table of Contents
PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO POSTGIS
1 What is a spatial database?
2 Spatial data types
3 Spatial reference systems
4 Working with real data
5 Using PostGIS on the desktop
6 Geometry and geography functions
7 Raster functions
8 Spatial relationships
PART 2 PUTTING POSTGIS TO WORK
9 Proximity analysis
10 PostGIS TIGER geocoder
11 Geometry and geography processing
12 Raster processing
13 Building and using topologies
14 Organizing spatial data
15 Query performance tuning
PART 3 USING POSTGIS WITH OTHER TOOLS
16 Extending PostGIS with pgRouting and procedural languages
17 Using PostGIS in web applications

About the Author

Leo Hsu is a co-principal of Paragon Corporation, a database consulting company based in Boston. He has over 15 years of professional experience developing and thinking about databases for organizations large and small. Leo holds an MS degree in engineering of economic systems from Stanford University and BS degrees in mechanical engineering and economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He co-authored PostGIS in Action.

Regina Obe is a member of the PostGIS core development team and the Project Steering Committee. Her company, Paragon Corporation, was founded in 1997, together with her husband Leo Hsu, and has provided database and GIS solutions for a broad range of clients. They also host two sites: BostonGIS.com and PostgresOnline.com.