ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a general introduction to computer hardware and software and definitions of geographic information system (GIS) and programming, and reviews Python in a practical context and practical knowledge about several GIS data models. It introduces important concepts such as object-oriented programming, Unified Markup Language (UML), and GIS models. GIS data models are used to capture essential geospatial elements of a specific problem. The book discusses unified modeling language for modeling object-oriented GIS data and relevant hands-on experience by examining how to create a point class, including coordinates and calculations of the distances between points. It helps people to develop and improve systematic programming skills and provides a more in-depth understanding of GIS fundamentals. The book focuses mainly on vector data models. It also introduces how to define classes and objects using Python.
