Differences between Oracle Locator and Oracle Spatial
A key area of confusion is the differences between Oracle Spatial and Oracle Locator.
Oracle Spatial has been available since Oracle 8.1.5 as a paid extension to Oracle Enterprise Edition.
Oracle Locator, however is included for free in all versions of Oracle from Standard One through to Enterprise. Since
version 9i, Oracle Locator was able to support all the fundamental spatial data types - points, lines and polygons - so it is extremely useful.
So if Oracle Locator is free, why would I use Oracle Spatial? To answer that, let's look at what is included in Oracle Locator:
- Exactly the same code base as Oracle Spatial for included functions - you won't get a performance degrade by using Oracle Locator, and
features behave in the same manner in Oracle Locator and Oracle Spatial;
- Full support to store spatial data types;
- Standard SQL query access to spatial data;
- All indexing types are available - including R-Tree and partition support;
- No limits on the size and complexity of data stored;
- Most of the common spatial operations, such as "find all customers in this region" and "what shops are within 100 metres of this school", are available;
- Data compatibility between Oracle Spatial and Locator, so if you do decide to upgrade, all your data remains valid; and
- Support for multiple coordinate systems.
Oracle Spatial provides the following functions which are not included in Oracle Locator:
- Linear referenced features e.g. roads which store the distance along the road;
- Network models, such as road networks, allowing rapid calculation of shortest paths;
- Topological relationships can be stored, such as this property boundary touches this neighbouring boundary. Generally used by data producers wishing to edit high integrity spatial data;
- Storage of images such as satellite and aerial photography;
- A geocoder that translates address data to coordinate; and
- Some more complex spatial functions, mainly for analysis and data aggregation.
In summary, Oracle Locator is a perfect platform for the storage of your spatial data. Generally only
advanced features are provided in Oracle Spatial and the upgrade path is easy.
Getting Started with Oracle Locator
If you have Oracle, you can use Oracle Locator now, but it's quite daunting to make that first step. If you currently
have data in a GIS you'll need to load this data into Oracle and be able to view it easily.
Geometry has developed Spatial Console as the tool to help Oracle users make the most of storing their spatial data.
Spatial Console enables you to:
- Load your data into Oracle Locator or Oracle Spatial
- View your data held in Oracle Locator or Oracle Spatial
- Validate your spatial data to ensure it conforms to the Oracle quality standards
- Create and manage spatial indexes and spatial metadata
- Export your data in GIS formats.
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View Oracle Spatial data on a map |
Go to Spatial Console to get more information and try our free evaluation.
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