PostGIS in Action: The Book

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 thru 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+. Some of the examples use features introduced in PostgreSQL 8.4+ and PostGIS 1.5. Along the way we will also be detailing features in the beta or pipeline features of later PostGIS and PostgreSQL 9.0.

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 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

• 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.

We currently have all chapters written and all 4 appendices written (of a total of about 13 chapters) all of which are on MEAPYou can buy the MEAP PDF PostGIS in Action E-book Beta book version now and get the latest new chapters and chapter revisions as we update them. The book once completed will be available in both E-book (which will be both PDF and various Mobile formats), and hard-copy (with free E-Book coupon) and can be purchased from Manning, Amazon, Safari Books Online and various other book distributors.

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: You can now preorder the book from Amazon and receive it once the hard-copy comes out in a couple of months. By buying now, you lock in the lowest price Amazon will be selling the book between now and print time.