PostGIS
PostGIS is the geospatial extension for PostgreSQL. It adds spatial types, indexes, and query functions for location-aware applications.
Where it fits
It is a strong choice when a backend needs to store geometries, perform spatial filtering, or serve map-oriented data products without moving spatial logic entirely into the application layer.
Repeated project patterns
- MaRESS uses PostgreSQL and PostGIS as the natural backend for map-driven research metadata exploration.
- Spatial web applications that pair a Python API with OpenLayers on the frontend benefit from keeping geometry and filtering logic close to the database.
Trade-offs
- Spatial databases are powerful, but they require more care around projection handling, indexing, and data modeling than plain relational tables.
- A map frontend is only as good as the spatial query model supporting it.