Predicting Database Requirements for Geographic Information Systems in the Year2000: Long-Term Design Issues for GRASS

摘要

The Environmental Compliance Modeling and Simulation Division of the U.S. ArmyConstruction Engineering Research Laboratories is responsible for continuing development of the geographic information system (GIS) known as GRASS--the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System. As the use of GRASS has increased, several significant limitations in the system have been identified. At the same time, advances in hardware and software technology have occurred that might help to address some of these limitations. This report presents the results of a preliminary investigation into the software capabilities and implementation strategies involved in revising the GRASS GIS. The research showed that one promising way to enhance GRASS would be to use an extended relational database management system or an object-oriented database management system as the core of the new GIS. Geographic Resources Analysis Support System, GRASS, Geographic Information Systems.