MySQL 5.0 Reference Manual :: 16 Spatial Extensions

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Chapter 16. Spatial Extensions
Table of Contents
16.1. Introduction to MySQL Spatial Support
16.2. The OpenGIS Geometry Model
16.2.1. The Geometry Class Hierarchy
16.2.2. Class Geometry
16.2.3. Class Point
16.2.4. Class Curve
16.2.5. Class LineString
16.2.6. Class Surface
16.2.7. Class Polygon
16.2.8. Class GeometryCollection
16.2.9. Class MultiPoint
16.2.10. Class MultiCurve
16.2.11. Class MultiLineString
16.2.12. Class MultiSurface
16.2.13. Class MultiPolygon
16.3. Supported Spatial Data Formats
16.3.1. Well-Known Text (WKT) Format
16.3.2. Well-Known Binary (WKB) Format
16.4. Creating a Spatially Enabled MySQL Database
16.4.1. MySQL Spatial Data Types
16.4.2. Creating Spatial Values
16.4.3. Creating Spatial Columns
16.4.4. Populating Spatial Columns
16.4.5. Fetching Spatial Data
16.5. Analyzing Spatial Information
16.5.1. Geometry Format Conversion Functions
16.5.2. Geometry Functions
16.5.3. Functions That Create New Geometries from Existing Ones
16.5.4. Functions for Testing Spatial Relations Between Geometric Objects
16.5.5. Relations on Geometry Minimal Bounding Rectangles (MBRs)
16.5.6. Functions That Test Spatial Relationships Between Geometries
16.6. Optimizing Spatial Analysis
16.6.1. Creating Spatial Indexes
16.6.2. Using a Spatial Index
16.7. MySQL Conformance and Compatibility
MySQL supports spatial extensions to allow the generation, storage, and analysis of geographic features. Before MySQL 5.0.16, these features are available for MyISAM tables only. As of MySQL 5.0.16, InnoDB, NDB, BDB, and ARCHIVE also support spatial features. (However, the ARCHIVE engine does not support indexing, so spatial columns in ARCHIVE columns cannot be indexed. MySQL Cluster also does not support indexing of spatial columns.)
Although spatial extensions are supported in InnoDB tables, use of spatial indexes may cause a crash. (Bug#15860)
This chapter covers the following topics:
The basis of these spatial extensions in the OpenGIS geometry model
Data formats for representing spatial data
How to use spatial data in MySQL
Use of indexing for spatial data
MySQL differences from the OpenGIS specification
Additional resources
The Open Geospatial Consortium publishes the OpenGIS® Simple Features Specifications For SQL, a document that proposes several conceptual ways for extending an SQL RDBMS to support spatial data. This specification is available from the OGC Web site at http://www.opengis.org/docs/99-049.pdf.
If you have questions or concerns about the use of the spatial extensions to MySQL, you can discuss them in the GIS forum: http://forums.mysql.com/list.php?23.
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