GIS Dictionary

[surveying] A type of statistical test used in surveying to detect blunders in a measurement network. The W-test is based on the assumption that the null hypothesis is rejected due … Read more

[Internet] Acronym for World Wide Web Consortium. An organization that develops web standards and promotes interoperability between web technologies, such as browsers, programming languages, and devices. Members from around the … Read more

[computing] The amount of time between the time that a client requests an object from a server and the time the client receives that object.

[ESRI software] In ArcGlobe, a navigation mode that allows navigation on a globe close to the ground, simulating walking.

[computing] Acronym for wide area network. A computer network that connects computers in a large area, such as in different cities or countries. The Internet is the most well-known example … Read more

[defense] In MOLE, a real-world battle element, such as a ground force unit or a lane boundary, represented by MOLE symbols on a map.

[defense] In MOLE, graphics on a map that represent battle elements such as ground troops and direction of troops. These graphics are used to plan and execute military operations in … Read more

[ESRI software] A text file that records all dialog during an ArcInfo session. Watch files can be edited and converted to macro programs.

[programming] A software design methodology in which development proceeds through a top-down process of overlapping stages. First proposed in 1970, the waterfall model is a highly structured approach to a … Read more

[hydrology] A basin-like terrestrial region consisting of all the land that drains water into a common terminus.

[physics] The distance between two successive crests on a wave, calculated as the velocity of the wave divided by its frequency.

[data storage] A lossy method of data compression that uses mathematical functions and is best used in image or sound compression.

1 [geography] The mental activities engaged in by a person trying to reach a destination, usually an unfamiliar one, in real or virtual space. Wayfinding consists of acquiring information that … Read more

[GPS] A location of interest, or a reference point on a route, stored as latitude-longitude coordinates and often captured by a GPS receiver.

[Internet] Acronym for Web Coverage Service. A standard specification for exchanging coverages over the Internet using a server. The Web Coverage Service (WCS) is the result of a collaborative effort … Read more

[Internet] A worldwide, decentralized, public information space for sharing documents and conducting business on the Internet. Components of the World Wide Web include information in the form of HTML documents; … Read more

1 [Internet] A software program that communicates via the World Wide Web and delivers Web-based information to the user in HTML format. Web applications are typically used to add customization … Read more

[Internet] A file that contains a user interface as well as all the code and necessary files to use as a starting point for creating a new customized Web application. … Read more

[Internet] An application that allows users to access and view web pages on their computer screens. Web browsers enable users to view HTML documents on the World Wide Web.

[Internet] The visual component of a Web form that executes its own action on the server. Web controls are designed specifically to work on Web forms and are similar in … Read more

[Internet] A set of interface specifications that standardizes data manipulation and map display on the Internet. The Web Feature Server (WFS) specification is the result of a collaborative effort assembled … Read more

[Internet] Based on ASP.NET technology, Web forms allow the creation of dynamic Web pages in a Web application. Web forms present their user interface to a client in a Web … Read more

[Internet] In ArcGIS Online, a Web based, interactive map that allows you to display and query the layers on the map. A Web map contains one or more ArcGIS Server … Read more

[Internet] A set of interface specifications that provides uniform access by Web clients to maps rendered by map servers on the Internet. The Web Map Server (WMS) is the result … Read more

[Internet] A page of information stored on a Web site and viewed in a Web browser. Web pages may contain text, graphics, animations, forms for data entry, and links to … Read more

[hardware] A computer that manages Web documents, Web applications, and Web services and makes them available to the rest of the world.

[Internet] A software component accessible over the World Wide Web for use in other applications. Web services are built using industry standards such as XML and SOAP, and thus are … Read more

[Internet] A collection of ArcGIS Server Web services. A Web service catalog is itself a Web service with a distinct location (URL) and can be queried to obtain the list … Read more

[Internet] A collection of Web pages (HTML files) that are interconnected with hyperlinks and published on the World Wide Web.

[data capture] The minimum distance allowed between any two vertices along a line, set before digitizing. When new lines are added, vertices that fall within that distance of the last … Read more

[data capture] Reducing the number of points that define a line while preserving its essential shape.

1 [mathematics] A number that indicates the importance of a variable for a particular calculation. The larger the weight assigned to the variable, the more that variable will influence the … Read more

[ESRI software] In geometric networks, a specification for which network features can be traced based on their weight values.

[ESRI software] In Survey Analyst for field measurements, one of two possibilities for performing a constrained adjustment. In the weighted constrained adjustment, the reference point coordinates are treated as observed … Read more

[spatial statistics use for geostatistics] The geographic center of a set of points as adjusted for the influence of a value associated with each point. For example, while the mean … Read more

[spatial statistics use for geostatistics] The value of a point’s attribute computed by averaging the values of its surrounding points, taking into account their importance or their distance from the … Read more

[data analysis] A technique for combining multiple rasters by applying a common measurement scale of values to each raster, weighting each according to its importance, and adding them together to … Read more

[geodesy] Acronym for World Geodetic System 1972. A geocentric datum and coordinate system designed by the U.S. Department of Defense, no longer in use.

[geodesy] Acronym for World Geodetic System 1984. The most widely used geocentric datum and geographic coordinate system today, designed by the U.S. Department of Defense to replace WGS72. GPS measurements … Read more

[programming] A SQL clause that specifies a selection criterion that allows filtering of a query result set.

[ESRI software] An interactive graphic component of a user interface (such as a button, scroll bar, or menu bar), its controlling program, or the combination of both the component and … Read more

[meteorology] A diagram showing, for a given place and time period, how much of the time the wind blows from each direction. Wind roses have many variations, but in the … Read more

[graphics map display] The process of limiting the viewable extent of a map or data by panning and zooming.

[graphics computing] A three-dimensional picture of an object, composed entirely of lines (wires). The lines represent the edges or surface contours, including those that would otherwise be hidden by a … Read more

[Internet] A ready-to-use Web application for a wireless client such as a handheld device, PDA, or cellular phone, designed for a specific purpose such as maps and routing for travel … Read more

[software] An interactive user interface that helps a software user complete a task one step at a time. Wizards are often implemented as a sequence of dialog boxes that the … Read more

[organizational issues] One specific task that proceeds through each stage of an organization’s workflow process, including design, acceptance, and construction in the field.

1 [organizational issues] An organization’s established processes for design, construction, and maintenance of programs, products, and business objectives. 2 [organizational issues] A set of tasks carried out in a certain … Read more

[ESRI software] A Microsoft SQL Server Express database that uses ArcSDE technology to store, query, and modify spatial data. Workgroup geodatabases accept up to 10 non-Web client connections and unlimited … Read more

[computing] A directory that indicates the appropriate location on disk to place results from analysis.

1 [ESRI software] A container for geographic data. A workspace can be a folder that contains shapefiles, a geodatabase, a feature dataset, or an ArcInfo workspace. Other multidimensional data formats … Read more

[hardware] A computer that has better graphics capabilities and more processing power than most personal computers, and is able to carry out several tasks at once. Workstations usually share data … Read more

[data storage] A text file containing information about where an image should be displayed in real-world coordinates. When an image has a properly configured world file, GIS software can use … Read more

[Internet] A worldwide, decentralized, public information space for sharing documents and conducting business on the Internet. Components of the World Wide Web include information in the form of HTML documents; … Read more

[Internet] Acronym for Web Service Description Language. An XML format for describing the methods, types, and connection point of a SOAP Web service.

[computing] In ArcGIS desktop, this term refers to the editing tools providing visual feedback of the desired end result of an editing operation while the process is still underway. For … Read more