Web-Enabling Geographic Data with Object-Relational Databases

We show how geographic data sets that are available in a proprietrary file format only, can be web-enabled by using an object-relational database system. In particular we propose a database schema for official cartographic-topographic (ATKIS) base data implemented in Oracle8i to store and manage such data sets in an object-structured way. We have implemented an import routine for such data into the database, and for inspection and selection purposes we have developed a visualization tool for arbitrary spatial data residing in an object-relational database. In order to exchange cartographic-topographic data sets over the internet, we introduce an XML-based document type definition along with some general rules on how to design DTDs for data strongly structured according to a database schema. Finally we describe how to generate files for data exchange according to the DTD. We claim that our techniques can be used as a reference pattern for similar tasks on other data formats or in other domains as well.