Learning QGIS 2.0

Use QGIS to create great maps and perform all the geoprocessing tasks you need

Overview

• Load and visualize vector and raster data
• Create and edit spatial data and perform spatial analysis
• Construct great maps and print them

In Detail

QGIS is a user friendly open source geographic information system (GIS) that runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows. The popularity of open source geographic information systems and QGIS in particular has been growing rapidly over the last few years. More and more companies and institutions are adopting QGIS and even switching to QGIS as their main GIS.

Learning QGIS is a practical, hands-on guide that provides you with clear, step-by-step exercises that will help you to apply your GIS knowledge to QGIS. Containing a number of clear, practical exercises, this book will introduce you to working with QGIS, quickly and painlessly. If you want to take advantage of the wide range of functionalities that QGIS offers, then this is the book for you.

This book takes you from installing and configuring QGIS, through handling spatial data to creating great maps. You will learn how to load and visualize existing spatial data and how to create data from scratch. You will perform common geoprocessing and spatial analysis tasks and automate them. We will cover how to achieve great cartographic output and print maps. You will learn everything you need to know to handle spatial data management, processing, and visualization tasks in QGIS.

What you will learn from this book

• Installing QGIS
• Getting comfortable with the QGIS user interface
• Loading vector and raster data from files, databases, and web services
• Creating, editing, and visualizing spatial data
• Performing geoprocessing tasks
• Automating geoprocessing and spatial analysis tasks
• Creating advanced cartographic output
• Designing great print maps

Approach

A short book with a lot of hands-on examples to help you learn in a practical way.

Who this book is written for

This book is great for users, developers, and consultants who know the basic functions and processes of a GIS but want to know how to use QGIS to achieve the results they are used to a full-fledged GIS.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Getting Started with QGIS
Chapter 2: Viewing Spatial Data
Chapter 3: Data Creation and Editing
Chapter 4: Spatial Analysis
Chapter 5: Creating Great Maps