Thread: Build in spatial support vs. PostGIS

Can anyone please shed light on the difference between the two:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1023229/spatial-data-in-postgresql
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Hello

2009/6/21 Assaf Lavie <assaflavie@gmail.com>:
> Can anyone please shed light on the difference between the two:
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1023229/spatial-data-in-postgresql
> (login _not_ required)
>

some integrated support for spatial types are relative old thing
probably from academic era of pg. It's good demonstration of
PostgreSQL's universality and could be used in some isolated projects.
PostGIS is do same thing, but it is based on OpenGIS standard (and
SQL/MM) standard and it's very rich tool for operation over spatial
data. There are some GIS clients, that can draw data stored in OpenGIS
format.

regards
Pavel Stehule
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* Assaf Lavie (assaflavie@gmail.com) wrote:
> Can anyone please shed light on the difference between the two:
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1023229/spatial-data-in-postgresql
> (login _not_ required)

Without really good justification to use something else, I'd strongly
recommend using PostGIS.  It has a ton of extrememly useful functions
and other things that go beyond the built-in PG support.

    Thanks,

        Stephen

Hi List

I am trying to load some data points  stored as lat/long values

Q.  Do I convert the degree values (0-59.59) to a decimal value in range
0-100, or is setting the right srs value good enough?


Dave.

Hi Assaf
Assaf Lavie wrote:
> Can anyone please shed light on the difference between the two:
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1023229/spatial-data-in-postgresql
> (login _not_ required)
>

In general, if you store spatial data typically found in a CAD
environment, the build in spatial features are more than enough.
However the moment you start having to reference the spatial data to a
position on earth, you really cannot use anything else than PostGIS.

So in general, of you have spatial features all starting with a
reference point of (0,0) use the build-in support.

HTH,

Johan Nel
Pretoria, South Africa.