Strong integration of spatial domains and operators in a relational database system

Abstract

Managing and manipulating spatial data requires selective access to these data, performance at access level, and data protection. The need for a single spatial database system, integrating in a single model both alphanumeric and geometric data, is discussed. Such a database system, GéoSabrina, has been developed as an extension of an already existing relational database system. The system supports spatial data with corresponding spatial operators. Data manipulation is easily made through a spatial extension of SQL. Optimization techniques are used, providing for a strong integration of spatial operators based on spatial indexing and join-indices techniques. Built-in spatial functionalities may be further extended by application programmers through object oriented features.