Geoprocessing with Python

Summary

Geoprocessing with Python teaches you how to use the Python programming language, along with free and open source tools, to read, write, and process geospatial data.

About the Technology

This book is about the science of reading, analyzing, and presenting geospatial data programmatically, using Python. Thanks to dozens of open source Python libraries and tools, you can take on professional geoprocessing tasks without investing in expensive proprietary packages like ArcGIS and MapInfo. The book shows you how.

About the Book

Geoprocessing with Python teaches you how to access available datasets to make maps or perform your own analyses using free tools like the GDAL, NumPy, and matplotlib Python modules. Through lots of hands-on examples, you’ll master core practices like handling multiple vector file formats, editing geometries, applying spatial and attribute filters, working with projections, and performing basic analyses on vector data. The book also covers how to manipulate, resample, and analyze raster data, such as aerial photographs and digital elevation models.

What's Inside

• Geoprocessing from the ground up
• Read, write, process, and analyze raster data
• Visualize data with matplotlib
• Write custom geoprocessing tools
• Three additional appendixes available online

About the Reader

To read this book all you need is a basic knowledge of Python or a similar programming language.

About the Author
Chris Garrard works as a developer for Utah State University and teaches a graduate course on Python programming for GIS.
Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Python basics
3. Reading and writing vector data
4. Working with different vector file formats
5. Filtering data with OGR
6. Manipulating geometries with OGR
7. Vector analysis with OGR
8. Using spatial reference systems
9. Reading and writing raster data
10. Working with raster data
11. Map algebra with NumPy and SciPy
12. Map classification
13. Visualizing data

Appendixes

• A - Installation
• B - References
• C - OGR - online only
• D - OSR - online only
• E - GDAL - online only

Chris Garrard has worked as a developer for the Remote Sensing / GIS Laboratory at Utah State University for over a decade. She teaches a graduate level course on Python programming for GIS and enjoys helping students see the power that comes with writing their own code.