PostGIS
PostGIS is a popular open-source software that provides geographical object support for database, object-relational DB PostgreSQL. OGC, aka Open Geospatial Consortium, is used to add SQL specifications via Simple Features ISO standards. The initial version of PostGIS was released in 2001 by Refraction Research, after which the version 1.0.0 was later released in April 2005. The current version is 3.1, last updated in February 2020.
Top PostGIS Alternatives
- Google Maps API
- Google Earth Pro
- OpenStreetMap
- QGIS
- ArcGIS Online
- what3words
- ESTAT
- ArcGIS Pro
- BatchGeo
- MapMe
- Mapbox
- GeoServer
- GPS Visualizer
- Esri ArcGIS
- ZeeMaps
Top PostGIS Alternatives and Overview
Google Maps API
Google Maps API, also known as the Google maps platform helps businesses providing the ease of navigation to their users around the world.
Google Earth Pro
Google Earth Pro is a platform that enables users to have a look at any place on earth from the comfort of their couch.
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is a platform that allows contributors from all over the world to add and verify local places on the open map of the world at the platform.
ArcGIS Online
ArcGIS is a powerful software which provides essential tools to improve the Geographic Information System (GIS) of any business.
what3words
what3words is an innovative geographic mapping system that has been designed to make addresses easier to locate.
BatchGeo
Working since 2006 as a mapping company and now has over 150k users, 1.1 million...
MapMe
It embeds maps in their websites and mobile apps to improve accessibility for the customers...
Mapbox
The software is well known and is widely accepted – its services help more than...
PostGIS Review and Overview
PostGIS is a very reliable choice in the PostSQL database section, as a spatial database extender. Users can either compile the software from various sources or use a binary installer from their site. They have added separate instruction for any other source version with compiling instructions too.
PostGIS Feature Overview
As for the Binary distributions, there are separate versions for various operating systems given too. Users can get setup for Windows OS, OSX, Red Hat, Ubuntu, and OpenSUSE/SUSE OS. Each of these OS have a different set of instruction to install the program, which isn’t too difficult.
PostGIS has an enabling process since it is offered in the form of additional extension. To get access to entire features and usable interface, they have given few books as well as tutorials for several versions of PostGIS. It brings extra elements like geometry, raster, geography, and other database-related fields in the PostgreSQL DB, along with the addition of useful functions and indices. This process is accomplished by a loadable C library and adding the structures and functions into the built library.
PostGIS Libraries and Operators
There are several libraries from C and C++, which are also utilized here, viz., GEOS, Proj4, GDAL, JSON-C, and LibXML2. Each of the given libraries are open source and readily accessible. Many popular software products to use this database, of which some of them are ArcGIS, Kosmo, Mapnik, MapGuide, TerraView, etc. The geometry type in PostGIS can list out points, polygons, multi-points, line-strings, and geometry points. Spatial is useful for finding the geometry interactions with DE-9IM.
It even houses spatial operators that aid in determining geospatial measurements and set operations. This includes elements like area, length, distance, perimeter, union, symmetric differences, etc. It offers fast and efficient spatial querying with R-tree. PostGIS also provides better performance to the query plans with the help of index selectivity support, along with WKT Raster. The use of such simple and efficient parameters allows us to yield faster performance. Overall, PostGIS can work very well for individuals and business app developers too.
Company Information
Company Name: PostGIS