Geoprocessing and Vector Analysis Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to geoprocessing and vector analysis as discussed in the lecture.

Query expressions

Used in GIS to select a subset of features and table records.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A standard computer language for accessing and managing databases.

Calculate Field

A tool used to modify an input table by calculating fields based on specified expressions.

Logical patterns

Includes segments of code like if, else, and elif to create logical decisions in programming.

Case sensitivity in queries

Strings in queries are case sensitive, except for personal geodatabase feature classes and tables.

Dissolve function

Combines like features within a data layer by removing common boundaries.

Buffering

A proximity function used to create a buffer zone around input features.

Vector Overlay

Combining different data layers that require a common coordinate system; creates a new data layer.

CLIP operation

A cookie-cutting approach where a bounding polygon defines a clipped second layer without including its attributes or geographic data.

INTERSECTION operation

Combines data from both layers but only for the area that overlaps, discarding data outside the bounding polygon.

UNION operation

Includes all data from both layers, creating new polygons from the coordinate data of each.

Upper function in SQL

Used to make a string uppercase for comparison, e.g., UPPER(STATE_NAME) = 'RHODE ISLAND'.

LIKE operator in SQL

Used in queries to match a specified pattern in string values.

Mathematical expressions

Includes basic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, designed for processing numeric data.