Dual Independent Map Encoding (DIME) is an
encoding
In communications and Data processing, information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter (alphabet), letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes data compression, shortened or ...
scheme developed by the
US Bureau of the Census for efficiently storing
geographical
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
data. The committee behind the case study that eventually resulted in DIME was established in 1965, although the term ''DIME'' itself was first coined by George Farnsworth in August 1967. The
file format
A file format is a Computer standard, standard way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file. It specifies how bits are used to encode information in a digital storage medium. File formats may be either proprietary format, pr ...
developed for storing the DIME-encoded data was known as
Geographic Base Files (GBF). The Census Bureau replaced the data format with
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing, or TIGER, or TIGER/Line is a format used by the United States Census Bureau to describe physical and cultural features such as roads, highways, city limits, rivers, and lakes, as well ...
(TIGER) in 1990.
See also
*
Geographic information system
A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and Geographic information system software, software that store, manage, Spatial analysis, analyze, edit, output, and Cartographic design, visualize Geographic data ...
External links
A short story of DIME
GIS file formats
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