ABSTRACT
In order to produce a map by digital methods, whether for normal cartographic production or within a geographical information system, a sequence of operations has to be carried out. Whether the production is in analogue or digital mode these are fundamentally the same, even though the terminology is often different. The current position in nearly all cases is that part of the sequence can be carried out directly by computer-controlled operations, and part depends on decisions and actions controlled by a human operator. The interesting question, therefore, is whether eventually the digital system can be developed to the point where it would be capable of carrying out all the procedures independently, doing without any human intervention apart from the initiation of the project.
