What is the difference between spatial and non-spatial data ? Explain with example.

Spatial data : The spatial data represent a geographical space. They are characterised by the points, lines and the polygons. The point data represents positional characterstics of the some of the geographical features such as schools, hospitals, wells, villages, towns, etc. on the map.

Non-spatial data: The data describing the spatial data is called as non-spatial or attribute data. For example, if you have a map showing positional location of your school you can attach the information as the name of the school, number of students in each the class, available facilities like library labs, etc. In other words, you will be defining the attributes of the spatial data. Thus non-spatial data are also known as attribute data.

Do yourself.

MS Excel is also called Spread-sheet. It is the work-sheet. The spread-sheets are located in workbooks or excel files. Excel worksheet contains 16384 rows and 256 columns.

The geographical datas are available in analogue or digital form.

Use of Computer (Practical Work in Geography)

The mapping software: mapping software provides functions for spatial and attribute data input through on screen digitation of scanned maps.

A digitised map consists of three files. The extention of these files are shp, shx and def. The def file is dbase file that contains attributes data and is linked to shx and shp files.

Computer saves time and improve efficiency in data processing and graphical presentation. Computer is more versatile as it facilitiates the on screen editing the text copy and move it from one place to another or even delete the unwanted text.

2. It can handle huge volume of the data.

3. It further enables validation, checking and correction.

(iii) The types of graph or map headings and other formats can be changed easily.