ABSTRACT
The final data-transformation stage (T4) identified in Chapter 4 is that of data output. The most obvious form of output from GIS is the map, and this has tended to distort the popular image of what such systems are capable of, reducing GIS to little more than an automated means of producing conventional maps. In many applications, the most important output from GIS analyses will be tabular and textual data, which may be transferred directly into other information systems without appearing on screen or paper at all. Examples of this type of operation include the data-manipulation sequences illustrated in Figures 7.2 and 7.5, where the final output is a new information product.
