Geographic Information Systems A

B.App(GeoICT)
B.Tech Survey
Year 3 Sem1

Lecture 2: Components of a GIS

Lecturer: M. Gwena
Objectives

• Introduction
• Explain the components of GIS
• Distinguish GIS and other digital mapping systems
 GIS : Introduction (Recap)
Functional definition
• A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture,
store, manipulate, analyze, manage and present all types of geographical
data
Component Definition
• GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic
data, procedures, and personnel designed to handle all phases of
geographic data capture, storage, analysis, query, display, and output.

• A GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in

many ways that reveal relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps,
globes, reports, charts.

• A GIS helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in
a way that is quickly understood and easily shared 3
COMPONENTS OF A GIS
• Also referred to as elements or parts of a GIS
• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• People
• Procedures/Methods/Processes
Components of a GIS
Hardware

• Powerful Computers
• Printing/Plotting and other
visualization capabilities
• Input devices
• Large amounts of disc
space
 1. Hardware
• Hardware - the computer or CPU on which a GIS operates.
• Attached to a disc storage unit, used for storing data & program
• Keyboard and mouse are used for data input
• Devices like digitizer, scanner are used for converting the data which is
available in form of maps and documents, into digital form and send
them to a computer
• Display device(VDU) or a plotter is used to present the result of the data
processing
• The type of hardware may influence:-
• the speed at which the GIS will operate,
• the type of software used and
• to some extent, the type/ personalities of the people working with the GIS
 2. Software for GIS (1)
• Includes programs & user interface for driving the hardware
• It encompasses not only to the GIS package, but all the software used for
databases, drawings, statistics, and imaging.
• The functionality of the software used to manage the GIS determines the type
of problems that the GIS may be used to solve.

• Provides the functions and tools needed to generate, store, analyze,

manipulate and display geographic information. ...

• A good GIS software should be user friendly in terms of :-

• Functionalities,
• Compatibilities,
• Updatability,
• Documentation and
• Cost-effectiveness
Software (2)
• Provides tools to:
• Manipulate
• Store
• Query
• Analyze
• …..Spatial Information

• There are FREE Open Source (FOSS) and Commercial Software packages
• The software used must match the needs and skills of the end user.
Software (3) Some Popular GIS Software:
Vector based:
• ArcGIS, Arc View, MapInfo – (ESRI)
• Global Mapper
• Quantum GIS (QGIS)
• AutoCAD Map – Autodesk
• ……………
Raster based:
• ERDAS Imagine (Leica)
• ENVI (Harris Geospatial) – Image
analysis
• ILWIS – (International Institute for
An ideal software should be able to Aerospace Survey & Earth Sciences
perform all the required functions - (ITC)).
• IDRISI (Clark University)…….
 3. Data for a GIS • Data is the information used
within a GIS
• Since a GIS often incorporates data
from multiple sources, its accuracy
defines the quality of the GIS.

• GIS quality determines the types

of questions and problems that may
be asked of the GIS
• We are currently in “Data
About 80% of all the time spent on GIS Overload”.
projects will simply be working with data • Visualizing data helps in filtering
out what is relevant
GIS data
• Data is the most important component of a GIS
• Geographic data and related tabular data can be collected in-house, compiled
custom specifications and requirements or occasionally purchased from a
commercial data provider.
• A GIS can integrate spatial data with other existing data resources often stored in
a corporate DBMS
• Integration of spatial data, tabular data stored in a DBMS is unique function of a
GIS.
• The accuracy of the data defines the quality of the GIS
• The quality of the GIS determines the types of questions and problems that the
GIS may be asked.
• The ability of GIS to handle and process geographically referenced data
distinguish it from other information systems
• Geographically referenced data describe both the location and characteristics of
spatial feature on the earth’s surface
Data: Spatial Vs Non- Spatial (1)
• GIS therefore involves two geographic data components:

• 1. Spatial data
• Describes the absolute and relative location of geographic feature
• It relates to the geometry of a spatial feature

• 2. Attribute (Non-Spatial) data

• Describes characteristics of spatial features
• Are often referred to as tabular data
• It gives information about the spatial features
Spatial Vs Non Spatial (2)
Data : Spatial and Non-Spatial (3)

• Georelational data links spatial and attribute data by ID

• Attribute data stored in feature attribute table which contains the ID
• Row is called a record, column is called a field or an item
 GIS Data: More examples

• Demographic
• Admin boundaries
• Transportation
• Socio-economic
• Historic buildings
• Hospitals
• Schools
• Diseases
• Environmental
• …………………
Spatial data Models

Source: https://www.geo.university/courses/environmental-
 Spatial data Models…(2)
• To store and manipulate data about the real world in a GIS
system,………
• the real world has to be modelled into data formats that the
computer can understand
• A model is representation of the key elements of a reality
• A model selects only the aspects of the real world that are important
for addressing the question at hand
• There are two main models for storing spatial data:
• Vector data models
• Raster data models
 Spatial data Models…..(3)
• 1. Vector data
• Stores geographic information as geometric objects:
a). Points:
• Represented as single coordinate pairs (longitude, latitude)
• Useful for representing water points, settlements
b). Lines
• Represented as a sequence of coordinate pairs
• Useful for representing streams, rivers, paths
c). Polygons
• Represented as a collection of coordinate pairs that represent the outer
boundaries of a feature
• Useful for representing forests, lakes, oceans, expansive cities
Spatial Data Models (4) - Vector Data Model

(1,3.5
)
(5,3.5
(1,1) )

 (3,2
)

POINT FEATURE LINE FEATURE

(4,5
)

(2,3 (6,3
) )

(5,1
)

AREAL FEATURE
 Spatial data Models (5)
• 2. Raster data Model
• Stores geographic information in grids of regular
cells or pixels
• Best suited for representing geographic data with
unclear boundaries such as elevation, temperature,
vegetation
• The size of each cell, is referred to as the spatial
resolution and determines the level of detail that is
captured by the raster data
• A single raster data can contain multiple bands of
different variables but at the same resolution
• Multi-band raster data are useful in spatio-
temporal data analysis
 Spatial data Models ….(6)
• 3. Attributes
• Are the text or numbers that describe what is represented by
the vector and raster data
• For instance, the temperature stored in a raster cell or the town
name in a vector point
• Spatial data models commonly use a georelational model to
connect the geographic representation and the attribute
Types of GIS data- Raster Vs Vector…(7)
Types of GIS data:Raster, Vector and Attributes…(8)
 People a b c

• Skilled People
Skilled GIS Professionals
Skilled GIS Users
Novice GIS Users
……………
Public Users • Ground truth data collection
• Data storing, processing and analysis
Source (Photos):
a) http://www.asdi.com/remote-
sensing/applications/ground-truthing
b) and c) Lwin & Murayama (2008)
 Skilled People ….(2)
• Skilled People form an important part of a GIS

• GIS technology is of limited value without the people who manage the
system and develop plans for applying it to real world problems.
• People define and develop the procedures used by a GIS

• Can overcome shortcoming of the other 4 elements (data, software,

hardware, procedure), but not vice-versa

• GIS users range from technical specialists who design and maintain the
system to those who use it to help them perform their everyday work.

• The identification of GIS specialists versus end users is often critical to

the proper implementation of GIS technology.
Procedures Procedures/Methods/Processes
Institutional based
• Differ from one
institution to
another
Methods
• Formulae
• Statistics
• Analysis
• Algorithms

Processes
Software based
e.g software tools
Network
• Network allows rapid
communication and sharing of
digital information.

• The internet has proven very

popular as a vehicle for
delivering GIS applications

• Dissemination of data • Display of Information

• Transfer data set • Web Maps
• Collaboration • Web application
Distinction between GIS and other digital mapping systems
• GIS and LIS
• GIS and Remote sensing
• GIS and GPS
• GIS and mobile mapping Systems
• GIS and CAD Systems
• GIS and ……………

The ability of GIS to handle and process geographically referenced data

distinguish it from other information systems

Note:
• Students to research and make notes on the above differences
 THE END

END OF LECTURE 2