All Topics
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.
| Algorithm Design/Algorithmic Approaches | Programming Languages & Libraries |
| Real-time GIS Programming and Geocomputation | Python for GIS |
| Natural Language Processing in GIScience Applications | PySAL and Spatial Statistics Libraries |
| Machine Learning Programming for GIS | R for Geospatial Analysis & Mapping |
| Linear Programming and GIS | Javascript for GIS |
| GIS and Parallel Programming | SQL Languages for GIS |
| Object-oriented Programming in GIS Applications | GDAL/OGR and IO Libraries |
| Application Development | |
| Development Tools | Design, Development, Testing, and Deployment of GIS Applications |
| Visual Programming for GIS Applications | Verification & Validation of GIS Applications |
| SpatialMPI: Message Passage Interface for GIS Applications | Commercialization of GIS Applications |
| GIS APIs | Licensing of GIS Applications |
| Open Source Software Development | |
| Platform Specific Programming | |
| GIS and GPU Programming | |
| Programming of Mobile GIS Applications | |
| Web GIS Programming |
PD-05 - Design, Development, Testing, and Deployment of GIS Applications
A systems development life cycle (SDLC) denes and guides the activities and milestones in the design, development, testing, and de ployment of software applications & information systems. Various choices of SDLC are available for different types of software applications & information systems and compositions of development teams and stakeholders. While the choice of an SDLC for building geographic information system (GIS) applications is similar to that of other types of software applications, critical decisions in each phase of the GIS development life cycle (GiSDLC) should take into account essential questions concern ing the storage, access, and analysis of (geo)spatial data for the target application. This article aims to introduce various considerations in the GiSDLC, from the perspectives of handling (geo)spatial data. The article rst introduces several (geo)spatial processes and types as well as various modalities of GIS applications. Then the article gives a brief introduction to an SDLC, including explaining the role of (geo)spatial data in the SDLC. Finally, the article uses two existing real-world applications as an example to highlight critical considerations in the GiSDLC.