Computer programming and development are critical to the past, present, and future of geospatial systems and techniques. The increasing ubiquity and diversity of online, mobile, and desktop GIS platforms along with the inclusion of cyber-infrastructure components within the bounds of geographic information systems (e.g., supercomputing, wireless sensor networks) means that GIS researchers and professionals need to be fluent in multiple forms of programming, and the life-cycles of system and software development.

Topics in this Knowledge Area are listed thematically below. Existing topics are in regular font and linked directly to their original entries (published in 2006; these contain only Learning Objectives). Entries that have been updated and expanded are in bold. Forthcoming, future topics are italicized.