The set of geometry types proposed by OGC's SQL with Geometry Types environment is based on the OpenGIS Geometry Model. In this model, each geometric object has the following general properties:
It is associated with a Spatial Reference System, which describes the coordinate space in which the object is defined.
It belongs to some geometry class.
The geometry classes define a hierarchy as follows:
Geometry (non-instantiable)
Point (instantiable)
Curve (non-instantiable)
LineString (instantiable)
Line
LinearRing
Surface (non-instantiable)
Polygon (instantiable)
GeometryCollection (instantiable)
MultiPoint (instantiable)
MultiCurve (non-instantiable)
MultiLineString (instantiable)
MultiSurface (non-instantiable)
MultiPolygon (instantiable)
It is not possible to create objects in non-instantiable classes. It is possible to create objects in instantiable classes. All classes have properties, and instantiable classes may also have assertions (rules that define valid class instances).
Geometry is the base class. It's an abstract class. The instantiable subclasses of Geometry are restricted to zero-, one-, and two-dimensional geometric objects that exist in two-dimensional coordinate space. All instantiable geometry classes are defined so that valid instances of a geometry class are topologically closed (that is, all defined geometries include their boundary).
The base Geometry class has subclasses for Point, Curve, Surface, and GeometryCollection:
Point represents zero-dimensional objects.
Curve represents one-dimensional objects, and has subclass LineString, with sub-subclasses Line and LinearRing.
Surface is designed for two-dimensional objects and has subclass Polygon.
GeometryCollection has specialized zero-, one-, and two-dimensional collection classes named MultiPoint, MultiLineString, and MultiPolygon for modeling geometries corresponding to collections of Points, LineStrings, and Polygons, respectively. MultiCurve and MultiSurface are introduced as abstract superclasses that generalize the collection interfaces to handle Curves and Surfaces.
Geometry, Curve, Surface, MultiCurve, and MultiSurface are defined as non-instantiable classes. They define a common set of methods for their subclasses and are included for extensibility.
Point, LineString, Polygon, GeometryCollection, MultiPoint, MultiLineString, and MultiPolygon are instantiable classes.
Geometry is the root class of the hierarchy. It is a non-instantiable class but has a number of properties that are common to all geometry values created from any of the Geometry subclasses. These properties are described in the following list. (Particular subclasses have their own specific properties, described later.)
A geometry value has the following properties:
Its type. Each geometry belongs to one of the instantiable classes in the hierarchy.
Its SRID, or Spatial Reference Identifier. This value identifies the geometry's associated Spatial Reference System that describes the coordinate space in which the geometry object is defined.
Its coordinates in its Spatial Reference System, represented as double-precision (eight-byte) numbers. All non-empty geometries include at least one pair of (X,Y) coordinates. Empty geometries contain no coordinates.
Coordinates are related to the SRID. For example, in different coordinate systems, the distance between two objects may differ even when objects have the same coordinates, because the distance on the planar coordinate system and the distance on the geocentric system (coordinates on the Earth's surface) are different things.
Its interior, boundary, and exterior. Every geometry occupies some position in space. The exterior of a geometry is all space not occupied by the geometry. The interior is the space occupied by the geometry. The boundary is the interface between the geometry's interior and exterior.
Its MBR (Minimum Bounding Rectangle), or Envelope. This is the bounding geometry, formed by the minimum and maximum (X,Y) coordinates:
((MINX MINY, MAXX MINY, MAXX MAXY, MINX MAXY, MINX MINY))
Whether the value is simple or non-simple. Geometry values of types (LineString, MultiPoint, MultiLineString) are either simple or non-simple. Each type determines its own assertions for being simple or non-simple.
Whether the value is closed or not closed. Geometry values of types (LineString, MultiString) are either closed or not closed. Each type determines its own assertions for being closed or not closed.
Whether the value is empty or non-empty A geometry is empty if it does not have any points. Exterior, interior, and boundary of an empty geometry are not defined (that is, they are represented by a NULL value). An empty geometry is defined to be always simple and has an area of 0.
Its dimension. A geometry can have a dimension of −1, 0, 1, or 2:
−1 for an empty geometry.
0 for a geometry with no length and no area.
1 for a geometry with non-zero length and zero area.
2 for a geometry with non-zero area.
Point objects have a dimension of zero. LineString objects have a dimension of 1. Polygon objects have a dimension of 2. The dimensions of MultiPoint, MultiLineString, and MultiPolygon objects are the same as the dimensions of the elements they consist of.
A Point is a geometry that represents a single location in coordinate space.
Imagine a large-scale map of the world with many cities. A Point object could represent each city.
On a city map, a Point object could represent a bus stop.
X-coordinate value.
Y-coordinate value.
Point is defined as a zero-dimensional geometry.
The boundary of a Point is the empty set.
A Curve is a one-dimensional geometry, usually represented by a sequence of points. Particular subclasses of Curve define the type of interpolation between points. Curve is a non-instantiable class.
A Curve has the coordinates of its points.
A Curve is defined as a one-dimensional geometry.
A Curve is simple if it does not pass through the same point twice.
A Curve is closed if its start point is equal to its end point.
The boundary of a closed Curve is empty.
The boundary of a non-closed Curve consists of its two end points.
A Curve that is simple and closed is a LinearRing.
A LineString is a Curve with linear interpolation between points.
On a world map, LineString objects could represent rivers.
In a city map, LineString objects could represent streets.
A LineString has coordinates of segments, defined by each consecutive pair of points.
A LineString is a Line if it consists of exactly two points.
A LineString is a LinearRing if it is both closed and simple.
A Surface is a two-dimensional geometry. It is a non-instantiable class. Its only instantiable subclass is Polygon.
A Surface is defined as a two-dimensional geometry.
The OpenGIS specification defines a simple Surface as a geometry that consists of a single “patch” that is associated with a single exterior boundary and zero or more interior boundaries.
The boundary of a simple Surface is the set of closed curves corresponding to its exterior and interior boundaries.
A Polygon is a planar Surface representing a multisided geometry. It is defined by a single exterior boundary and zero or more interior boundaries, where each interior boundary defines a hole in the Polygon.
On a region map, Polygon objects could represent forests, districts, an so on.
The boundary of a Polygon consists of a set of LinearRing objects (that is, LineString objects that are both simple and closed) that make up its exterior and interior boundaries.
A Polygon has no rings that cross. The rings in the boundary of a Polygon may intersect at a Point, but only as a tangent.
A Polygon has no lines, spikes, or punctures.
A Polygon has an interior that is a connected point set.
A Polygon may have holes. The exterior of a Polygon with holes is not connected. Each hole defines a connected component of the exterior.
The preceding assertions make a Polygon a simple geometry.
A GeometryCollection is a geometry that is a collection of one or more geometries of any class.
All the elements in a GeometryCollection must be in the same Spatial Reference System (that is, in the same coordinate system). There are no other constraints on the elements of a GeometryCollection, although the subclasses of GeometryCollection described in the following sections may restrict membership. Restrictions may be based on:
Element type (for example, a MultiPoint may contain only Point elements)
Dimension
Constraints on the degree of spatial overlap between elements
A MultiPoint is a geometry collection composed of Point elements. The points are not connected or ordered in any way.
On a world map, a MultiPoint could represent a chain of small islands.
On a city map, a MultiPoint could represent the outlets for a ticket office.
A MultiPoint is a zero-dimensional geometry.
A MultiPoint is simple if no two of its Point values are equal (have identical coordinate values).
The boundary of a MultiPoint is the empty set.
A MultiCurve is a geometry collection composed of Curve elements. MultiCurve is a non-instantiable class.
A MultiCurve is a one-dimensional geometry.
A MultiCurve is simple if and only if all of its elements are simple; the only intersections between any two elements occur at points that are on the boundaries of both elements.
A MultiCurve boundary is obtained by applying the “mod 2 union rule” (also known as the “odd-even rule”): A point is in the boundary of a MultiCurve if it is in the boundaries of an odd number of MultiCurve elements.
A MultiCurve is closed if all of its elements are closed.
The boundary of a closed MultiCurve is always empty.
A MultiLineString is a MultiCurve geometry collection composed of LineString elements.
On a region map, a MultiLineString could represent a river system or a highway system.
A MultiSurface is a geometry collection composed of surface elements. MultiSurface is a non-instantiable class. Its only instantiable subclass is MultiPolygon.
Two MultiSurface surfaces have no interiors that intersect.
Two MultiSurface elements have boundaries that intersect at most at a finite number of points.
A MultiPolygon is a MultiSurface object composed of Polygon elements.
On a region map, a MultiPolygon could represent a system of lakes.
A MultiPolygon has no two Polygon elements with interiors that intersect.
A MultiPolygon has no two Polygon elements that cross (crossing is also forbidden by the previous assertion), or that touch at an infinite number of points.
A MultiPolygon may not have cut lines, spikes, or punctures. A MultiPolygon is a regular, closed point set.
A MultiPolygon that has more than one Polygon has an interior that is not connected. The number of connected components of the interior of a MultiPolygon is equal to the number of Polygon values in the MultiPolygon.
A MultiPolygon is a two-dimensional geometry.
A MultiPolygon boundary is a set of closed curves (LineString values) corresponding to the boundaries of its Polygon elements.
Each Curve in the boundary of the MultiPolygon is in the boundary of exactly one Polygon element.
Every Curve in the boundary of an Polygon element is in the boundary of the MultiPolygon.