Role of Prototyping in GIS Design: A Case Study of the Digital Chart of the World

摘要

The development and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is growingrapidly as computers become more affordable and ever more powerful. Geographic Information System developers and users alike are faced with a complex array of problems during system design including definition of requirements, development of specifications, selection of hardware, and implementation of the system. Some have made poor decisions regarding these subjects in the past, often due to inadequate input into the planning process. Fortunately, recent years have seen increasing efforts on the part of developers, designers, and users to utilize structured GIS design methods to better control, define and model critical features of new systems. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of prototyping, a software engineering concept, in the GIS design process. This study will first summarize the evolution of GIS design methodology to illustrate both its current status and how new ideas have been incorporated into the field. Then a case study will be used to evaluate the role that prototyping played in one GIS database development project and finally recommendations will be made for the further use of prototyping in GIS design.