Contribuicoes para uma metodologia de desenvolvimento de sistemas de informacao geografica

Abstract

This dissertation advocates a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) development process based simultaneously on both structural and spatial aspects of geographic information. In particular, it stresses the various roles that spatial relations can play in solving the problems that gave rise to this class of Information Systems (IS), as well as the requirements placed upon their development support technologies. An overview of the current situation in GIS development support processes is presented. Generic IS development methods are then surveyed, with special emphasis on the object-oriented approach. Following this, a set of constraints is identified with respect to these methods application to GIS. These constraints apply throughout the whole of the development process. The dissertation proposes an extension to the OMT method (called Geo-OMT) which augments its set of concepts, enabling data models to expressively capture a system's most relevant spatial aspects without sacrificing the degree of abstraction that characterise each stage of the development process. Geo-OMT also covers methodological aspects of GIS development, with particular stress on thoseAvailable from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Servico de Informacao e Documentacao, Av. D. Carlos I, 126, 1200 Lisboa / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga