Combining REmbeddedPostgres and PostGIS

Abstract

This work presents some results of combining several pieces of Open Source software, including R1(see [6]), PostgreSQL2(see [2]), and some appropriate extension packages, see [3]. A central building block is REmbeddedPostgres, an extension of the PostgreSQL RDBMS, which basicly delivers the possibility to use R syntax within SQL queries. Using the work of Duncan Temple Lang [4] as starting point, the idea arose, to implement more complex statistical database queries. Finally the focus has been put on queries involving spatial data. At this point PostGIS comes into action. It is another PostgreSQL extension and implements OpenGIS functions. This extension enables PostgreSQL to process spatially referenced data. An implementation of a "linear model" query will be shown. It involves several modifications of REmbeddedPostgres and needs some extra SQL functions written in R and Perl. This can easily be combined with OpenGIS SQL functions. As a result a "spatial statistical SQL query" becomes possible. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.