GIS Dictionary

[ESRI software] A means of copying and distributing data from one database to local, remote, or mobile users and then synchronizing between these databases for consistency.

1 [ESRI software] In ArcGIS, a database that contains the schema information needed to create a geodatabase from a UML model created using a CASE tool. 2 [ESRI software] In … Read more

1 [cartography] A method of illustrating data so it can be viewed and understood. In cartography, representation is used to depict likenesses of real-world features in such a way that … Read more

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS, a specialized geometry vertex that controls the phases of certain geometric effects in a representation rule.

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS, the combination of symbology and any geometric effects that together define the appearance of features sharing a common representation rule ID.

[cartography] The ratio of a distance on a map to the equivalent distance measured in the same units on the ground. A scale of 1:50,000 means that one inch on … Read more

[mathematics] The process of interpolating new cell values when transforming rasters to a new coordinate space or cell size.

[statistics] In a regression model, the difference between the observed Y value and the predicted Y value; the unexplained portion of the dependent variable. Predicted values rarely match observed values … Read more

1 [cartography] The detail with which a map depicts the location and shape of geographic features. The larger the map scale, the higher the possible resolution. As scale decreases, resolution … Read more

[ESRI software] ESRI Web site providing various online resourcessuch as online help, user forums, blogs, samples, user communities, developer content, and so onto help users learn about and use a … Read more

[Internet] Acronym for Representational State Transfer. An architecture for exchanging information between peers in a decentralized, distributed environment. REST allows programs on different computers to communicate independently of an operating … Read more

[network analysis] A Boolean network element attribute used for limiting traversal through a network dataset. “One way street,” “no trucks allowed,” and “buses only” are examples of restrictions.

[geocoding] The process of finding a street address from a point on a map.

[graphics computing] A color model that uses red, green, and blue, the primary additive colors used to display images on a monitor. RGB colors are produced by emitting light, rather … Read more

[geodesy] A complex curve on the earth’s surface that crosses every meridian at the same oblique angle. A rhumb line path follows a single compass bearing; it is a straight … Read more

[programming] An application that stores and retrieves data locally rather than remotely, enabling easy interaction with other internal resources. Client-side applications maintain a consistent look and feel and support a … Read more

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS, a geometric element from which polygons are constructed. A ring is a closed path (one that begins and ends at the same point).

The simplest and most widely used type of market-area analysis, in which a circle is generated around an area on a map; then the underlying demographics are extracted from the … Read more

[linear referencing] In hydrology applications, another name for linear referencing. River addressing allows objects such as gauging stations to be located by their relative positions along a line feature.

Acronym for root mean square error. A measure of the difference between locations that are known and locations that have been interpolated or digitized. RMS error is derived by squaring … Read more

[navigation] A transparent gauge that represents easting and northing distances at a given map scale, used to locate positions on a map.

[data capture] A type of scanner that moves a document through a roller assembly over camera sensors that capture a digital image.

1 [linear referencing] Any line feature, such as a street, highway, river, or pipe, that has a unique identifier. 2 [network analysis] A path through a network. 3 In ArcGIS … Read more

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS Network Analyst, a type of network analysis that determines the best route from one network location to one or more other locations. It can also calculate … Read more

[ESRI software] A set of tools that allows users to create and modify routes in ArcMap.

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, linear, continuous or point features occurring along a base route system.

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, the result of the dynamic segmentation process. A route event source serves an event table as a dynamic feature class. Every row in the table … Read more

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, a table that stores route locations and their attributes. A route event table, at a minimum, consists of a route identifier field and a measure … Read more

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, a numeric or character value used to identify a route.

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, a discrete location along a route (point) or a portion of a route (line). A point route location uses only a single measure value to … Read more

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, a value stored along a linear feature that represents a location relative to the beginning of the feature, or some point along it, rather than … Read more

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, route measure values that do not adhere to the expected behavior. Route measure anomalies can often be fixed with ArcMap route editing tools.

[linear referencing] In linear referencing, a collection of routes with a common system of measurement stored in a single feature class (for example, a set of all highways in a … Read more

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS Network Analyst, an object used in vehicle routing problem (VRP) analysis. A route renewal object specifies a depot that can be used by a particular route … Read more

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS Network Analyst, a feature used in vehicle routing problem (VRP) analysis. A route seed point can be used to cluster the orders for a specified route.

[ESRI software] A public ArcIMS virtual server that supports routing, reverse geocoding, and geocoding of Spatial Data Compressed (SDC) data. This server is available as an extension to ArcIMS.

[Internet] A type of Web service that determines driving directions between a set of route stops.

[ESRI software] In ArcGIS Network Analyst, a feature used in vehicle routing problem (VRP) analysis. A route zone has a polygon geometry and can be used to define the area … Read more

[GPS] A portable GPS receiver used to collect data in the field. The rover’s position can be computed relative to a second, stationary GPS receiver.

1 [database structures] A record in a table. 2 [database structures] The horizontal dimension of a table composed of a set of columns containing one data item each. 3 [data … Read more

[spatial statistics use for geostatistics] A technique for adjusting the weights in a spatial weights matrix. When weights are row standardized, each weight is divided by its row sum. The … Read more

[data structures] Acronym for Raster Product Format. A data format composed of rectangular pixel arrays (compressed or uncompressed), produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and U.S. allies for military applications.

[Internet] Acronym for Really Simple Syndication, Resource Description Framework (RDF) Site Summary, or Rich Site Summary, depending on the source. A simple, structured XML format for sharing content among different … Read more

[Internet] A text, audio, or media clip delivered over the Internet using RSS technology. RSS feeds can be delivered on demand to a browser with RSS-enabled software.

A procedure for adjusting the coordinates of all the data points in a dataset to allow a more accurate match between known locations and a few data points within the … Read more

1 [data editing] A procedure for adjusting the coordinates of all the data points in a dataset to allow a more accurate match between known locations and a few data … Read more

[programming] The time during which a program is running, or the time it takes to run a program.

A data compression technique for storing raster data. Run-length encoding stores data by row. If two or more adjacent cells in a row have the same value, the database stores … Read more

[programming] The host that provides the services required for compiled code to execute. The Service Control Manager (SCM) is effectively the runtime environment for COM. The Visual Basic Virtual Machine … Read more