geographic information system A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with software tools for managing, analyzing, and visualizing those data. In a ...

s, a feature is an object that can have a geographic location and other properties. Common types of geometries include points, arcs, and

polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two t ...

s. Carriageways and

cadastre A cadastre or cadaster is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref> Often it is represented graphically in a cad ...

s are examples of feature data. Features can be labeled when displayed on a map.

Feature types

The definition of features that share membership of a common theme is a ''feature type'', though there are a number of terms for this characteristic, including ''category'', ''feature class'', ''group'', ''layer'', ''level'', ''object'', and ''theme''. ''Layer'' served as the traditional term of choice, but use of this word has declined as data has become more object-oriented and less concerned with cartographic layering. Data modelers can use ''feature types'' to create a hierarchical structure. For example, a dataset may consist of types called highways, streets and lanes. The system may group these particular types together under a category called "Roads".

References

Cartography {{Cartography-stub

Feature types

See also

References