Introduction to GIS Programming and Fundamentals with Python and ArcGIS

Geographical information system (GIS) has become a popular tool underpinning many aspects of our daily life from routing for transportation to finding a restaurant to responding to emergencies. Convenient GIS tools are developed with different levels of programming from scripting, using python for ArcGIS, to crafting new suites of tools from scratch. How much programming is needed for projects largely depends on the GIS software, types of applications, and knowledge structure and background of the application designer and developer. For example, simple scripting integrates online m apping applications using Google maps. Customized spatial analyses applications are routinely using ArcGIS with minimum programming. Many develop an application leveraging open-source software for managing big data, modeling complex phenomena, or responding to concurrent users for popular online systems. The best design and development of such a pplications require designers and developers to have a thorough understanding of GIS principles as well as the skill to choose between commercial and open-source software options. For most GIS professionals, this is a c hallenge because most are either GIS tool end users or information technology (IT) professionals with a limited understanding of GIS.