Spatial Database Design

Fall 2024

Schedule in Detail

In the following list:

  • “PiA” refers to the PostGIS in Action, 3e by Obe & Hsu.
  • “RDDI” refers to Relational Database Design and Implementation, 4e by Harrington.
  • “PG” refers to the PostgreSQL Documentation. Note that this links to the documentation for the currently released version of PostgreSQL; if the documentation changes in a way that breaks the link, please notify the professor so that it can be updated.
  • “Workshop” refers to the Introduction to PostGIS Workshop. The files for this workshop are also available as a download in Canvas. Note that the PostGIS Workshop is listed under “Reading” because the exercises include answers, and are not turned in for a grade; you should do the exercises and check your own answers.

  • Week 1 (8/26 - 8/30)
  • Week 2 (9/2-9/6)
    • Reading
      • RDDI 7 (only “First Normal Form”), 18 (only “Performing Arithmetic”, “String Manipulation”, “Date and Time Manipulation”)
      • PiA 2, 3, 4, 6
      • Workshop 9-10, 16-19
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: SQL Functions and Spatial Data
    • Fri
      • Due Date: DataCamp - Intermediate SQL, Chapters 1 & 2 (not submitted)
  • Week 3 (9/9 - 9/13)
    • Reading
      • RDDI 7 (only “Second Normal Form”), 19
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Aggregate Queries
      • Due Date: Milestone 1 (evaluated in class)
  • Week 4 (9/16 - 9/20)
    • Reading
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Table Joins
    • Fri
      • Due Date: DataCamp - Intermediate SQL, Chapters 3 & 4
  • Week 5 (9/23 - 9/27)
    • Reading
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Data Modification Language (DML) and Keys
      • Due Date: Database Design Assignment 0 (discussed in class)
    • Fri
      • Due Date: DataCamp - Joining Data in PostgreSQL
  • Week 6 (9/30 - 10/4)
    • Reading
      • RDDI 7 (review), 11
      • PG 5.1-4: Data Definition only sections on “Table Basics”, “Default Values”, “Generated Columns”, and “Constraints”
      • PiA 14
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Data Definition Language (DDL) and Database Normalization
      • Due Date: Database Design Assignment 1
  • Week 7 (10/7 - 10/11)
    • Reading
      • PiA 8
      • Workshop 11-12, 22
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Spatial Relationships
      • Database Design Assignment 1 solution discussed in class
      • Due Date: Database Design Assignment 2
  • Week 8 (10/14 - 10/18)
    • Reading
      • PiA 9
      • Workshop 29
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Proximity Analysis
      • Due Date: Milestone 2 (evaluated in class)
      • Database Design Assignment 2 solution discussed in class
  • Week 9 (10/21 - 10/25)
    • Reading
      • RDDI 8
      • PiA 14, 15
      • Workshop 15, 27, 33
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Storage Strategies and Performance Tuning
      • Due Date: Database Design Assignment 3
  • Week 10 (10/28 - 11/1)
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Student-Led Tutorials
      • Due Date: Milestone 3 (evaluated in class)
      • Database Design Assignment 3 solution discussed in class
  • Week 11 (11/4 - 11/8)
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Student-Led Tutorials
      • Due Date: Milestone 4 (evaluated in class)
  • Week 12 (11/11 - 11/15)
    • Thurs
      • PROFESSOR AT CONFERENCE; CLASS WILL BE HELD ONLINE OR CANCELLED
  • Week 13 (11/18 - 11/22)
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Student-Led Tutorials
  • FALL BREAK (11/25 - 11/29)
  • Week 14 (12/2 - 12/6)
    • Thurs
      • Meeting: Student-Led Tutorials
  • Finals Period
    • Scheduled Examination Time (12/12)
      • Due Date: Milestone 5 (Final Report)