Newcastle University

Open Source Geospatial Software

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Bored of being tied to a specific GIS supplier? Frustrated by the cost of GIS software?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then Free and Open Source GIS is the answer.

• It provides quality, scalability, reliability and security
• Offers freedom and flexibility to choose, use, modify, extend, distribute software and escape vendor lock in
• Gives better interoperability
• Has simplified licensing
• Has much lower costs - sometimes FREE.

Free and Open Source Tools for GIS

Prerequisites

• IT skills
• Knowledge of GIS and spatial data issues

Goals

• Learn how to use some of the many free Desktop GIS packages available
• Learn how to create spatial databases using free PostGIS software
• Find out how to put your spatial data on the web using Geoserver and OpenLayers
• Learn how to use geospatial libraries to their full potential
• Learn how Open Source licensing works

Introduction to Spatial Databases

The quality and quantity of spatial data is key to any corporate GIS, and one of the best ways to store and maintain spatial data is in a spatial database. Come and learn about the different spatial database options available: Learn how to create a database from scratch, how to maintain it efficiently and how to run spatial queries directly on a database to answer questions.

Prerequisites

• Strong IT skills
• Knowledge of spatial data types and structures
• Basic database knowledge

Goals

• How to install and configure PostGIS (an Open Source database)
• Learn how to connect Desktop GIS to spatial databases
• Create spatial queries on the database
• How to maintain spatial databases so that they run in an efficient manner

Courses are held in the Professional Development Suite on the second floor of Drummond Building. The fee includes all course materials, lunches and refreshments.

Discounts are available for block bookings of more than five people; please contact the Professional Development Unit for more details.

Course Outline

Registration for both courses takes place from 0900, with the courses starting at 0930 prompt. Lunch is at 1230, and the courses finish at 1630.

The timetable below is provisional.

Free Open Source Tools

Duration: Two days

• What is Open Source?
• Open Source licensing: what you need to know
• The Geo-stack from server to desktop via the web
• Open source for Geo and the standards framework
• Open source spatial databases
  • PostGIS
• Serving maps on the web
  • Geoserver
  • Mapserver
• Open Source Desktop GIS
  • UDig
  • Quantum GIS
• Open source on the web
  • OpenLayers
  • Integration with Javascript APIs from Google and Microsoft
• Open source data

Outcomes

• Understanding of licensing structure of open source products
• Overview of open source geo tools
• Overview of standards framework
• Integration with current and legacy systems
• Hands-on usage of a range of open source geo software and tools

Introduction to Spatial Databases

Duration: One day

• Pre-requisites and hardware
• Installation
• Data loading
• Basic queries using SQL
• Advanced spatial queries in PostGIS
• Connecting PostGIS to the web
• Programmatic connections to PostGIS
• PostGIS and the desktop
• Add-ons (Routing)

Outcomes

• PostGIS installation
• Spatial queries using SQL
• Programming with PostGIS

Who is the course aimed at?

Free and Open Source Tools for GIS

For those who would like an overview of the free and open source solutions available which could prove to be a good alternative to traditional GIS software packages.

Introduction to Spatial Databases

The course is suitable for anyone who has a basic GIS knowledge and is interested in setting up, maintaining and using spatial databases for analysis.

Presenters

School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

• To be confirmed

[ Book online ]

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