soapbox – geoMusings

Data Over Software

2023-08-232023-08-23 by Bill Dollins

One of the first tasks I ever had in my then-new GIS career was doing AML development in ARC/INFO 6.x for a data production project. My code parsed DXF exported from AutoCAD R11 for DOS and then assigned attributes based on things like layer, color, line weight, feature type, and others. It also georeferenced the data based on tic marks captured in AutoCAD. The end result was multiple ARC/INFO coverages that were fully populated from data templates based on the AutoCAD characteristics. From there, QA analysts tailored the data from defaults, if necessary.

After that, I did a lot of work in AML to build a cartographic production system for a water utility. That had me building a GUI using ARC/INFO forms and developing customized editing tools with ArcEdit in ArcPlot mode.

As you can imagine, I dug deeply into AML. I learned a lot about GIS – in which I had no formal training. Because AML essentially batched the same commands the analysts used at the command line, all of this development made me quite proficient with ARC/INFO. Those were fun times. Because I needed to learn GIS, this period had a lot of value for me.

As a software developer, however, there was a big drawback that is evident in the full name of AML – Arc Macro Language. All of the time and effort I was investing into building proficiency in AML was usable in exactly one place. The same was true when ArcView came along with its proprietary object-oriented language, Avenue.

When Is a GeoPortal Not a GeoPortal?

2013-04-24 by Bill Dollins

When it’s really a desktop application.

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading with conflicted agreement the posts of Brian Timoney and Bill Morris about the nature of geo-portals and what they should or should not be and do. I say that I am in conflicted agreement not because I take any issue with anything they have said. Their posts represent what should be considered best practices in terms of building web mapping applications. In Brian’s posts, the counter-examples he highlights represent some of the worst practices to be avoided.

Yes, You Need to Code

2013-01-30 by Bill Dollins

Over the past year, I’ve been involved in searching for GIS analysts a number of times. As a result, I’ve noticed a few patterns:

There are a lot of analysts out there looking for jobs. Every time I run an ad, I get at least 100 resumes from people of various levels of experience and education.
The vast majority of those that I call to pre-screen have not done any meaningful coding of any kind. This includes Python, which has been shipping with ArcGIS for several versions now.
Of those that do have some coding experience, many do not show it on their resumes. I find this particularly interesting as I can’t imagine why a person would choose not to list all relevant skills or experience.

I am very publicly on the record that I think some form of coding skill is essential for any GIS analyst entering the workforce today. My reasoning here is fairly straightforward.