Any description of reality is always an abstraction, always partial, and always just one of many possible “views“, depending on the application field.

The widespread application of computers and geographic information systems (GIS) has led to an increased use of geographic data within multiple disciplines. Geographic datasets are increasingly being shared and exchanged.

To ensure that data will be understood by both computer systems and users, the data structures for data access and exchange must be fully documented. The interfaces between systems therefore need to be defined with respect to data and operations, using the methods standardized in this International Standard.

An application schema provides the formal description of the data structure and content required by one or more applications. An application schema contains the descriptions of both geographic data and other related data. A fundamental concept of geographic data is the feature.

Type of document

The status of this document is IS since 2005.