March 29, 2024
Updated May 12, 2025
20 minute read
A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Developer is a specialized software developer who designs, creates, and maintains applications and tools that utilize geospatial data. Essentially, they build the software that helps us understand and interact with location-based information. This field involves using the principles of geography and the power of technology to solve complex problems and provide valuable insights across a multitude of industries.
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Find a path to becoming a GIS Developer. Learn more at:
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Reading list
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Provides a comprehensive overview of GIS, covering its history, concepts, applications, and future directions. It is suitable for those who want to gain a deep understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical applications of GIS.
Is widely regarded as the definitive guide to PostGIS. It provides a comprehensive introduction to spatial databases and covers vector, raster, and topology spatial types and functions. It is an excellent resource for gaining a broad understanding and is frequently used as a reference by both students and professionals. This edition is updated to cover recent PostGIS and PostgreSQL features, making it highly relevant for contemporary topics.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of GIS, covering topics such as data models, spatial analysis, and visualization. It is suitable for those who want to gain a solid understanding of the theoretical foundations of GIS.
Provides a comprehensive guide to Python scripting in ArcGIS, covering topics such as data manipulation, geoprocessing, and automation. It is suitable for those who want to enhance their GIS skills with Python.
Published recently, this book focuses specifically on Spatial SQL, which is the core language for interacting with PostGIS. It's highly relevant for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of querying and manipulating spatial data within a database context. While not solely about PostGIS, its direct relevance to the practical application of spatial databases makes it a valuable resource for all levels.
Comprehensive guide to using QGIS. It covers everything from basic concepts to advanced techniques. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about QGIS or who wants to use it for their own projects.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the ArcGIS Desktop platform, covering its core concepts, tools, and applications. It is suitable for beginners who want to gain a solid foundation in GIS.
Covers the use of R for spatial data analysis in ecology and agriculture, providing a comprehensive overview of R packages and techniques for data manipulation, visualization, and modeling. It is suitable for those who want to explore the use of R in GIS for ecological and agricultural applications.
Aims to help users master the full range of PostGIS functionalities, from data management to analysis and integration with web technologies. It covers modern approaches to working with spatial data in PostGIS and is suitable for developers and analysts.
A practical guide to using PostGIS for health-related applications, such as disease mapping and spatial analysis of health data.
Covers the use of R for geospatial analysis, providing a comprehensive overview of R packages and techniques for data manipulation, visualization, and modeling. It is suitable for those who want to explore the use of R in GIS.
Provides a comprehensive overview of GIS technology, covering its components, functions, and applications. It is suitable for those who want to gain a general understanding of how GIS works and how it can be used in various fields.
This edition of the PostGIS Cookbook is specifically aimed at web developers and software architects, highlighting the use of PostGIS in web applications. It's a practical guide with recipes relevant to integrating PostGIS into a web development workflow.
Another foundational book on spatial databases, this text provides a theoretical and technical deep dive into the subject. It covers spatial data models, query languages, and indexing techniques. While published earlier, it offers a strong academic perspective valuable for graduate students and researchers.
This course title clearly outlines an introduction to spatial databases using PostGIS and QGIS. Books that cover the basics of spatial database concepts, how to set up and use PostGIS, and how to connect and visualize PostGIS data in QGIS would be ideal for beginners and those new to spatial databases. It emphasizes foundational knowledge.
The second edition of the widely acclaimed 'PostGIS in Action'. While superseded by the third edition in terms of the latest PostGIS features, this book is still a valuable resource for understanding the core concepts and capabilities of PostGIS up to versions 2.x. It can be useful as supplementary reading or a more affordable option for gaining a solid foundation.
This course title indicates a focus on using spatial data for scientific analysis and applications, an area where PostGIS foundational tool for data storage and initial processing. Books that cover spatial statistics, data mining, and the use of PostGIS in conjunction with programming languages like Python or R for spatial data science would be valuable for this audience.
This course title points to the use of PostGIS as a backend for web mapping applications. Books that explain how to integrate PostGIS with web development frameworks, serve spatial data to the web, and build interactive web maps would be highly relevant. Understanding PostGIS's role in a web architecture is crucial.
This course title suggests a focus on building enterprise-level GIS solutions using open source tools, specifically PostgreSQL and PostGIS. Books that cover advanced PostGIS features, integration with other open-source GIS tools, and database administration for large datasets would be highly relevant. Understanding how PostGIS scales and performs in an enterprise environment is key.
While not a specific book recommendation, the title of this course highlights the importance of Spatial SQL and its application with PostgreSQL/PostGIS. Books focusing on Spatial SQL and practical exercises with PostGIS would align well with the objectives of this type of course, providing hands-on learning opportunities.
This cookbook focuses on the administration of PostgreSQL, including topics like backup, recovery, and monitoring, which are essential for managing a PostGIS database in a production environment. It's a valuable reference for database administrators working with PostGIS.
Provides a guide to learning PostgreSQL. As PostGIS is an extension, having a solid understanding of the underlying database system is very helpful. This book would be useful for those new to PostgreSQL who plan to use PostGIS.
While focused on GRASS GIS, another prominent open-source GIS software, this book provides valuable context on the broader open-source GIS ecosystem. Understanding other open-source tools can be beneficial when working with PostGIS, as they often integrate. offers a broader perspective on open-source spatial data handling.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/career/mjspen/gis
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