GeoLabs

Create a template_postgis database
Some might find this useful for creating PostGIS databases without having to be PostgreSQL
super users. The idea is to create a template_postgis database, install plpgsql and postgis into
it, and then use this database as a template when creating new PostGIS databases.

$ psql template1
\c template1
CREATE DATABASE template_postgis WITH TEMPLATE = template1 ENCODING = [...]

Some great news for those interested in the convergence between Ruby/Rails and Geospatial applications. Kashif and I will be giving a tutorial at RailsConf in Berlin. There is going to be 3 hr tutorial titled Rails GIS Hacks, where we will be going through some pretty nifty stuff such as RESTful geospatial applications development. [...]

It appears the rotate function in PostGIS only rotates the geometry about the center of the co-ordinate systems. There was a neat little trick that was mentioned on the postgis-list by Bruce Rindhal to rotate a polygon about its center:

CREATE TABLE shapes (gid serial PRIMARY KEY, name varchar);
SELECT AddGeometryColumn(”, ’shapes’, ‘the_geom’, -1, ‘POLYGON’, 2);
INSERT [...]

Wetlands are regarded by nature conservationist as unique ecosystems. They often exhibit delicately balanced environmental conditions and support a wide range of exotic plant and animal species. Wetlands are also often protected by various environmental laws and conventions. Last year when I was visiting Pakistan I learned about the Pakistan Wetlands Project that is under [...]

Some might find this useful for creating PostGIS databases without having to be postgresql superusers. The idea is to create a template_postgis database, install plpgsql and postgis into it, and then use this database as a template when creating new PostGIS databases.

$ psql template1
\c template1
CREATE DATABASE template_postgis WITH template = template1;
 
– set the ‘datistemplate’ record [...]

Ken Lord emailing to the annual “Who’s using PostGIS and for What?” inquiry wrote in detail about his experienes with Oracle and also a justification for decision to chose PostGIS over Oracle Spatial. I thought it was quite insightfull for anyone who are doing a cost/benefit analysis of choosing a spatial database for their next [...]

Richard Taylor has release an update to GeoType — a python library that implements OGC Simple Features Specification and PostGIS geometry in Python. It has integration with Psycopg & python-postgresql interface. This ones for you gus ;)
GeoTypes