An iconic query language for topological relationships in GIS

Abstract

Abstract The study of query languages for spatial databases is an active research area. This paper describes a new spatial query language that uses a visual grammar to express topological relationships. It is supplemented by text and icons to handle other spatial and non-spatial queries. A graphical user interface is also developed to provide an interactive environment for composing the iconic query command. To test the language, the interface is implemented on a SUN 4 Workstation and linked to Ingres, a relational DBMS. Preliminary tests show that the iconic query language is more convenient for expressing spatial concepts than conventional textual languages. This is due mainly to the two-dimensionality of iconic languages in contrast with the linear nature of conventional languages.