PostGIS in Action Book

PostGIS in Action: The Book

Post GIS Day was on November 17th, 2011. Remeber the holiday with these commemoritive PostGIS playing cards.

PostGIS is a spatial database extender for the PostgreSQL Open Source Object-Relational database management system. PostGIS follows the OGC/SQL-MM standards.

PostGIS in Action is a comprehensive book about PostGIS that will guide you through many of the basic and advanced features of this fast, feature-rich spatial database. It is an excellent companion book to the already excellent PostGIS reference manuals. While the book is useful for lower versions of PostGIS and PostgreSQL, our main target is PostGIS 1.5+ and PostgreSQL 8.4+. We also show new features in PostgreSQL 9.0 and the upcoming PostgreSQL 9.1 and PostGIS 2.0.

We'll introduce you to both PostGIS as well as PostgreSQL, the powerful DBMS that PostGIS spatially extends. You will learn:

The basics of Geographic Infomation Systems (GIS), spatial data processing,and how these extend the kinds of questions you can answer with a relational database
How to load various formats of GIS data into the database
How spatial reference systems play a role in GIS
The power of Spatial SQL to simplify and expand the possibilities of location aware applications and statistical analysis based on location.
How PostGIS/PostgreSQL fits into the standard body of GIS and relational databases. Also check out our related comparison article comparing the big common 3 spatially enabled OGC compliant relational databases Oracle, SQL Server, PostGIS
What workflows PostGIS is good for and how to perform them efficiently
How to view PostGIS data in desktop applications
How to integrate PostGIS in your web applications

The appendices cover topics germane to PostGIS and PostgreSQL:

Helpful resources for learning more about PostgreSQL, GIS, Free tools and Commerical tools that work with PostGIS
Getting free GIS data
Getting up and running with PostgreSQL and PostGIS
The fundamentals of Structured Query Lanuage (SQL)
PostgreSQL unique features, backup and restore, and security management

This website is a companion to the PostGIS in Action book. We provide PostGIS and PostgreSQL resources, code downloads, data downloads used in the book as well as providing chapter summaries of what is covered in each chapter. On the chapter listing page you will see a paper clip to download code and data for that chapter. You will also see the download link on each chapter page.

Note the E-Book version is half the price of the hard-copy and Manning will reimburse you the price you paid for E-Book if you choose to later buy the hard-copy.

UPDATE: The book is out in hard-copy. Buy PostGIS in Action in hard-copy from various distributors or the e-Book from Manning. If your local bookstore doesn't carry PostGIS in Action, tell them you want it.