Chaowei Yang - Introduction to GIS Programming and Fundamentals with Python and ArcGIS®

Introduction to GIS Programming and Fundamentals with Python and ArcGIS

Introduction to GIS Programming and Fundamentals with Python and ArcGIS

Chaowei Yang

With the collaboration of

Manzhu Yu

Qunying Huang

Zhenlong Li

Min Sun

Kai Liu

Yongyao Jiang

Jizhe Xia

Fei Hu

CRC Press

Taylor & Francis Group

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Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742

2017 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

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International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4665-1008-1 (Hardback)

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Yang, Chaowei, author.

Title: Introduction to GIS programming and fundamentals with Python and ArcGIS / Chaowei Yang.

Description: Boca Raton, FL : Taylor & Francis, 2017.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016047660| ISBN 9781466510081 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781466510098 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Geographic information systems--Design. | Python (Computer program language) | ArcGIS

Classification: LCC G70.212 .Y36 2017 | DDC 910.285/53--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016047660

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For Chaowei Yang's parents, Chaoqing Yang and Mingju Tang,

for continually instilling curiosity and an exploring spirit

Contents

Why Another GIS Programming Text?

Geographical information system (GIS) has become a popular tool underpinning many aspects of our daily life from routing for transportation to finding a restaurant to responding to emergencies. Convenient GIS tools are developed with different levels of programming from scripting, using python for ArcGIS, to crafting new suites of tools from scratch. How much programming is needed for projects largely depends on the GIS software, types of applications, and knowledge structure and background of the application designer and developer. For example, simple scripting integrates online mapping applications using Google maps. Customized spatial analyses applications are routinely using ArcGIS with minimum programming. Many develop an application leveraging open-source software for managing big data, modeling complex phenomena, or responding to concurrent users for popular online systems. The best design and development of such applications require designers and developers to have a thorough understanding of GIS principles as well as the skill to choose between commercial and open-source software options. For most GIS professionals, this is a challenge because most are either GIS tool end users or information technology (IT) professionals with a limited understanding of GIS.

To fill this gap, over the last decade, Chaowei Yang launched an introductory GIS programming course that was well received. Enrollment continues to rise and students report positive feedback once they are in the workplace and use knowledge developed from the class. To benefit a broader spectrum of students and professionals looking for training materials to build GIS programming capabilities, this book is written to integrate and refine the authors knowledge accumulated through courses and associated research projects.

The audience for this book is both IT professionals to learn the GIS principles and GIS users to develop programming skills. On the one hand, this book provides a bridge for GIS students and professionals to learn and practice programming. On the other hand, it also helps IT professionals with programming experience to acquire the fundamentals of GIS to better hone their programming skills for GIS development.

Rather than try to compete with the current GIS programming literature, the authors endeavor to interpret GIS from a different angle by integrating GIS algorithms and programming. As a result, this book provides a practical knowledge that includes fundamental GIS principles, basic programming skills, open-source GIS development, ArcGIS development, and advanced topics. Structured for developing GIS functions, applications, and systems, this book is expected to help GIS/IT students and professionals to become more competitive in the job market of GIS and IT industry with needed programming skills.

What Is Included in the Text?

This book has four sections. ) using the Mini-GIS developed.

introduces object-oriented programming and characteristics with examples of basic GIS vector data types of Point, Polyline, and Polygon.

introduces vector data processing algorithms and includes line intersection, centroid, area, length, and point in polygon. This presentation includes how Mini-GIS/ArcGIS supports these algorithms.

explores surface or 3D data representation of 3D data, converting data formats and 3D analyses for elevation, slope, aspect, and flow direction with examples in ArcGIS programming.

.

Hands-On Experience

As a practical text for developing programming skills, this book makes every effort to ensure the content is as functional as possible. For every introduced GIS fundamental principle, algorithm and element, an example is explored as a hands-on experience using Mini-GIS and/or ArcGIS with Python. This learning workflow helps build a thorough understanding of the fundamentals and naturally maps to the fundamentals and programming skills.

For system and open-source development, a step-by-step development of a python-based Mini-GIS is presented. For application development, ArcGIS is adopted for illustration.

The Mini-GIS is an open-source software developed for this text and can be adopted for building other GIS applications. ArcGIS, a commercial product from ESRI, is used to experience state-of-the-art commercial software. For learning purpose, ArcGIS is available for free from ESRI.

Online Materials

This book comes with the following online materials: