The first attempt to automate building process

[oss/fgis.git] / README

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+f(GIS) PROJECT
+
+fGIS stands for "functional GIS". It means that fGIS uses functional data
+model rather than object-oriented. Spatial phenomena are interpreted
+as functions of spatial coordinates, defined on some subset of earth
+surface. Such subset can be contineous area, or set of lines, like
+transport or hydrography network, or even set of isolated points.
+
+I hope that such approach would allow to develop powerful map operation
+language much like simple relational model of tabular data give birth
+to SQL.
+
+Idea of fGIS was born when I've worked on DOS with EPPL7 and Arc/Info GIS
+systems. I've found that on most tasks, related with natural sciences,
+EPPL7 outperforms Arc/Info hundred times or so. So, I wanted to have
+system which is open-source, have purified ideology, and is free from
+some EPPL7 limitations, caused by 16-bit nature of DOS. Later I've found
+that GRASS already implements most of my ideas, but GRASS is huge and
+knowing how other raster GIS like IDRISI are outperformed by EPPL7,
+I have very few hopes that its existense makes my efforts useless.
+