ABSTRACT
As is true of any large, integrated software system, the internal operations of a Geographic Information System are quite complex. Generally, attaining a clear understanding of the storage mechanisms involved and the procedures used to perform individual tasks as implemented in software requires a significant background in computer science. An important distinction, separating GIS from other types of complex data handling systems (e.g., large banking databases) is that geographic data are both multidimensional and complex. These distinguishing characteristics, discussed in general in Part I, present special problems for the software designer in terms of the form of digital data storage and the basic manipulation procedures required for successful operation.
