This book has found a significant niche providing a comprehensive overview of GIS without focusing on specific disciplines or software. This allows the book to truly present the basics of GIS without getting bogged down in the particulars of geography or engineering, and avoiding the pitfalls inherent in producing a text tied to a specific software application.

Contents
Preface

· Geographical Information Systems and Graphical Information

· Historical Development: Geographical Data and GIS

· From the Real World to GIS

· Basic Data Models

· Advanced Data Models

· Georeferencing Systems

· Hardware and Communication Technology for GIS Applications

· Basic Software and Databases for GIS

· Data Collection I

· Data Collection II

· Data Quality

· Database Implementation and Spatial Indexing

· Housekeeping Tools

· Basic Spatial Analysis

· Advanced Analysis

· Visualization

· Choosing a GIS: Organizational Issues

· Choosing a GIS: Technical Issues

· Standards and Geospatial Infrastructure

· Formal Problems in Establishing GIS

· A Vision for the Future

References

Index