In this Guide we address the full spectrum of spatial analysis and associated modeling techniques that are provided within currently available and widely used geographic information systems (GIS) and associated software. Collectively such techniques and tools are often now described as geospatial analysis, although we use the more common form, spatial analysis, in most of our discussions.
本指南面面俱到的讲述了空间分析和相关的建模技术，这些技术被广泛的应用于当前的GIS系统和相关的软件中。总体来讲这些技术和工具经常被称之为地理空间分析，但大多数时候，我们都简称其为空间分析。
The term ‘GIS’ is widely attributed to Roger Tomlinson and colleagues, who used it in 1963 to describe their activities in building a digital natural resource inventory system for Canada (Tomlinson 1967, 1970). The history of the field has been charted in an edited volume by Foresman (1998) containing contributions by many of its early protagonists. A timeline of many of the formative influences upon the field up to the year 2000 is available via: http://www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/gistimeline/; and is provided by Longley et al. (2010). Useful background information may be found at the GIS History Project website (NCGIA): http://www.ncgia.buffalo.edu/gishist/. Each of these sources makes the unassailable point that the success of GIS as an area of activity has fundamentally been driven by the success of its applications in solving real world problems. Many applications are illustrated in Longley et al. (Chapter 2, “A gallery of applications”). In a similar vein the web site for this Guide provides companion material focusing on applications. Amongst these are a series of sector‑specific case studies drawing on recent work in and around London (UK), together with a number of international case studies.
‘GIS’这个词汇来源于Roger Tomlinson和他的团队，他们在做一个加拿大的数字自然资源系统时用这个词汇来描述相关内容。Foresman这个人把GIS的历史做成了一个可编辑的图表，包含了一些早期的先驱事迹。[原文中的几个网址都打不开了。。。]。从这些历史事件中看出，GIS技术成功地解决了一些现实的世界性问题，从而也驱动了GIS的发展。文章中的第二章节介绍了大量的应用案例。[后面的几个链接都失效了。。。]
In order to cover such a wide range of topics, this Guide has been divided into a number of main sections or chapters. These are then further subdivided, in part to identify distinct topics as closely as possible, facilitating the creation of a web site from the text of the Guide. Hyperlinks embedded within the document enable users of the web and PDF versions of this document to navigate around the Guide and to external sources of information, data, software, maps, and reading materials.
本书为了涵盖这么多的主题内容，分成了一系列的主要部分和章节。然后进一步细分成不同的子类主题。web版和PDF版中的链接关联了很多有用的资源：扩展阅读信息、数据、软件、地图和其他一些相关资料。
Chapter 2 provides an introduction to spatial thinking, recently described by some as “spatial literacy”, and addresses the central issues and problems associated with spatial data that need to be considered in any analytical exercise. In practice, real-world applications are likely to be governed by the organizational practices and procedures that prevail with respect to particular places. Not only are there wide differences in the volume and remit of data that the public sector collects about population characteristics in different parts of the world, but there are differences in the ways in which data are collected, assembled and disseminated (e.g. general purpose censuses versus statistical modeling of social surveys, property registers and tax payments). There are also differences in the ways in which different data holdings can legally be merged and the purposes for which data may be used — particularly with regard to health and law enforcement data. Finally, there are geographical differences in the cost of geographically referenced data. Some organizations, such as the US Geological Survey, are bound by statute to limit charges for data to sundry costs such as media used for delivering data while others, such as most national mapping organizations in Europe, are required to exact much heavier charges in order to recoup much or all of the cost of data creation. Analysts may already be aware of these contextual considerations through local knowledge, and other considerations may become apparent through browsing metadata catalogs. GIS applications must by definition be sensitive to context, since they represent unique locations on the Earth’s surface.
第二章包含对空间概念的介绍（有些人称之为“空间意识”）和针对空间数据处理的核心问题探讨。实践中，现实场景中的应用更侧重于对特定一些地方的组织和过程管理。在世界各地，由公共部门采集的人口普查数据，不仅在数据量和数据组织上大有不同，而且数据的收集、整理和传输都各有不同（例如，社会人口普查、产权登记和税务信息都是不同的建模方式）。同样，在数据的共享合并和使用目的上也有不同——特别是健康和执法数据。再一个，获取空间数据的成本因地域不同。一些组织，像美国地质调查局是禁止收取类似数据传输媒介等的各种数据相关费用，但是大多数欧洲的国家测绘部门，为了收回数据生成成本会收取高额的数据费用。数据分析师应该对当地的这些情况进行了解，甚至可以通过浏览元数据去获取相关信息。GIS应用必须要能够适应这些数据的各种不同与变化，因为这些数据呈现了地球表面不同位置的信息。
This initial discussion is followed in Chapter 3 by an examination of the methodological background to GIS analysis. Initially we examine a number of formal methodologies and then apply ideas drawn from these to the specific case of spatial analysis. A process known by its initials, PPDAC (Problem, Plan, Data, Analysis, Conclusions) is described as a methodological framework that may be applied to a very wide range of spatial analysis problems and projects. We conclude Chapter 3 with a discussion on model-building, with particular reference to the various types of model that can be constructed to address geospatial problems.
第三章首先是探讨一些与GIS分析相关的方法理论，并将这些方法应用于实际的空间分析案例中。用首字母PPDAC（问题，计划，数据，分析，结论）来表示能够用来解决各种空间分析的问题或工程。第三章还包括对于建模的讨论，构建各种类型的模型来解决地理空间问题。
Subsequent Chapters present the various analytical methods supported within widely available software tools. The majority of the methods described in Chapter 4 Building blocks of spatial analysis) and many of those in Chapter 6 (Surface and field analysis) are implemented as standard facilities in modern commercial GIS packages such as ArcGIS, MapInfo, Manifold, TNTMips and Geomedia. Many are also provided in more specialized GIS products such as Idrisi, GRASS, QGIS (with SEXTANTE Plugin) Terraseer and ENVI. Note that GRASS and QGIS (which includes GRASS in its download kit) are OpenSource.
后续章节中讲述了目前广泛使用的软件工具中用到的各种各样的空间分析方法。大部分在第4章，在第6章中，很多方法被现代商业软件实现为标准的通用模块，像ARCGIS,MapInfo,Manifold,TNTMips和Geomedia。一些方法是通过一些更专业化的GIS软件提供，像Idrisi,GRASS,QGIS,ENVI。特别说明的是GRASS和QGIS都是开源软件。
In addition we discuss a number of more specialized tools, designed to address the needs of specific sectors or technical problems that are otherwise not well-supported within the core GIS packages at present. Chapter 5, which focuses on statistical methods, and Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 which address Network and Location Analysis, and Geocomputation, are much less commonly supported in GIS packages, but may provide loose- or close-coupling with such systems, depending upon the application area. In all instances we provide detailed examples and commentary on software tools that are readily available.
在第5、7、8章会讨论一些更专业化的工具，这些工具用于特定的场景或技术问题，更或者，是目前不适合集成进GIS核心软件包中。第8章讨论网络和空间分析，地理分析，这些功能一般不直接提供，但是会以松耦合或紧耦合的方式关联到系统中，这会根据应用场景而定。所有的案例都会提供基于现成软件的详细示例和说明。
As noted above, throughout this Guide examples are drawn from and refer to specific products — these have been selected purely as examples and are not intended as recommendations. Extensive use has also been made of tabulated information, providing abbreviated summaries of techniques and formulas for reasons of both compactness and coverage. These tables are designed to provide a quick reference to the various topics covered and are, therefore, not intended as a substitute for fuller details on the various items covered. We provide limited discussion of novel 2D and 3D mapping facilities, and the support for digital globe formats (e.g. KML and KMZ), which is increasingly being embedded into general-purpose and specialized data analysis toolsets. These developments confirm the trend towards integration of geospatial data and presentation layers into mainstream software systems and services, both terrestrial and planetary (see, for example, the KML images of Mars DEMs at the end of this Guide).
文章中提及的示例和涉及使用到的工具软件，仅仅是用来演示示例，而不是作为一种操作建议。为了更好的使用，将它们列成表格，为了让其紧凑和条理提供了简要的技术说明。这些列表是为了提供更快的索引，而不是说将所有相关的子主题都涵盖。我们对较新的2D和3D的绘图工具和数字地球数据格式的相关讲解不深，例如谷歌的KML和KMZ格式，被越来越多的应用于通用的和特定的数据分析工具。这些发展变化证明主流系统软件和服务的趋势在向空间数据的集成和可视化展示现方向发展，包括地球和其他行星（例如，文章中KML影像格式的火星DEM）。
Just as all datasets and software packages contain errors, known and unknown, so too do all books and websites, and the authors of this Guide expect that there will be errors despite our best efforts to remove these! Some may be genuine errors or misprints, whilst others may reflect our use of specific versions of software packages and their documentation. Inevitably with respect to the latter, new versions of the packages that we have used to illustrate this Guide will have appeared even before publication, so specific examples, illustrations and comments on scope or restrictions may have been superseded. In all cases the user should review the documentation provided with the software version they plan to use, check release notes for changes and known bugs, and look at any relevant online services (e.g. user/developer forums and blogs on the web) for additional materials and insights.
大致意思是书中难免有错，尤其是相关软件示例，读者遇到问题尽可能多地去查看最新软件版本的相关技术资料，说明文档和版本新特性等。
The web version of this Guide may be accessed via the associated Internet site: http://www.spatialanalysisonline.com. The contents and sample sections of the PDF version may also be accessed from this site. In both cases the information is regularly updated. The Internet is now well established as society’s principal mode of information exchange and most GIS users are accustomed to searching for material that can easily be customized to specific needs. Our objective for such users is to provide an independent, reliable and authoritative first port of call for conceptual, technical, software and applications material that addresses the panoply of new user requirements.
