CS 128/ES Lecture 1a1 What is GIS?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a2 GIS = Geographical information systems Okay to leave now? No! Two parts to the definition…?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a3 You signed up for the course - What does GIS suggest to you? Who might use a GIS (and why)?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a4 MoSoSos* *mobile social-software services

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a5 Some textbook definitions “A powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real world.” Burroughs 1986 (Principles of Geographical Information Systems for Land Resources Assessment)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a6 Some textbook definitions ”A decision support system involving the integration of spatially referenced data in a problem solving environment.” Cowen 1988 (Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 54:1551-4)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a7 Some textbook definitions ”Any manual or computer based set of procedures used to store and manipulate geographically referenced data.” Aronoff 1989 (Geographic Information Systems: a Management Perspective)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a8 Some textbook definitions ”An information system that is designed to work with data referenced by spatial or geographic coordinates. In other words, a GIS is both a database system with specific capabilities for spatially-referenced data, as well as a set of operations for working with the data.” Estes & Star (in Clarke 2001, Getting Started with Geographic Information Systems)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a9 Some textbook definitions ”A special case of information systems where the database consists of observations on spatially distributed features, activities or events, which are definable in space as points, lines, and areas, to retrieve data for ad hoc queries and analyses.” Dueker (in Clarke 2001, Getting Started with Geographic Information Systems)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a10 What do these definitions have in common?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a11 Here’s what we think … 1.A GIS is a special type of database, designed to be used with spatially or geographically-referenced objects (features, processes, or events)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a12 Here’s what we think … 1.A GIS is a special type of database, designed to be used with spatially or geographically-referenced objects (features, processes, or events) 2.A GIS contains operations or tools for working with spatial data. These tools include typical database operations (sorting, selecting, querying, etc.) plus specifically geographic operations (setting and changing scales and projections, etc.)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a13 Here’s what we think … 1.A GIS is a special type of database, designed to be used with spatially or geographically-referenced objects (features, processes, or events) 2.A GIS contains operations or tools for working with spatial data. These tools include typical database operations (sorting, selecting, querying, etc.) as well as operations specific to geographic issues (setting and changing scales and projections, etc.) 3.A GIS serves a wide variety of purposes, centering on the storage, display, and analysis of spatial data.

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a14 Two things that a GIS isn’t* 1.A computerized cartographic (map-drawing) system GISs often display their data and analyses by means of maps, but they are themselves much more than just the map. * But is often confused with

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a15 Two things that a GIS isn’t* 2.A GPS (Global Positioning System) Both the U. S. & Russia operate satellite systems that can provide ground coordinates to a hand-held unit, but the coordinates, without other data, don’t constitute a GIS. * But is often confused with (Why not?)

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a16 The class mascot Name ??? Useful information? 

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a17 A Real-life GIS

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a18 Looks like just a map?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a19 Look at “tool bar” at left

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a20 Use the Zoom tool

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a21 Where’s SBU?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a22 How to find our mascot?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a23 Add Hydrant layer…

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a24 It still looks like just a map

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a25 But let’s use the Identify tool

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a26 Here’s the database

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a27 What could you use this for?

The Ends Justify The Means Academicians appreciate “beautiful” solutions & wonderful techniques “Real People” appreciate solutions that work and often don’t care where they come from A GIS is a tool; it is “beautiful” to the degree that it can produce good solutions CS 128/ES Lecture 1a28

Tools vs. Products (Carpentry) A carpenter uses tools such as planers and routers A carpenter is not a “planer and router expert” (though s/he has such expertise) A carpenter produces woodcraft, but must be able to use the tools CS 128/ES Lecture 1a29

Tools vs. Products (GISers) A GISer uses tools, primarily a GIS A GISer is not a software expert (though s/he has such expertise) A GISer produces solutions to problems involving geographic data; to do so, s/he must be able to use the tools CS 128/ES Lecture 1a30

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a31 An Important Hierarchy DATA – the bits and bytes that we ask a computer system to store INFORMATION – Data put into context KNOWLEDGE – Information applied to real world situations

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a32 MCI What is it?

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a33 What is MCI? Telecommunications company? Initials of Michael C. Irving? 1101 in Roman Numerals? The Marine Corps Institute? Motor Coach Industries? Without context, you can’t tell!

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a34 Components of a GIS (the tools) Computer Systems and Software Spatial Data Data Management and Analysis Procedures People

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a35 Outputs of a GIS (the solutions) Maps Database-type reports (including query results and calculations) Prose-style reports

CS 128/ES Lecture 1a36 The key to being effective Knowing what questions to ask And designing the GIS to answer those questions