source: trunk/workshop-foss4g/projection_exercises.rst @ 1

.. _projection_exercises:

Section 16: Projection Exercises
================================

Here's a reminder of some of the functions we have seen.  Hint: they should be useful for the exercises!

* :command:`sum(expression)` aggregate to return a sum for a set of records
* :command:`ST_Length(linestring)` returns the length of the linestring
* :command:`ST_SRID(geometry, srid)` returns the SRID of the geometry
* :command:`ST_Transform(geometry, srid)` converts geometries into different spatial reference systems
* :command:`ST_GeomFromText(text)` returns ``geometry``
* :command:`ST_AsText(geometry)` returns WKT ``text``
* :command:`ST_AsGML(geometry)` returns GML ``text``

Remember the online resources that are available to you:

* http://spatialreference.org
* http://prj2epsg.org

Also remember the tables we have available:

 * ``nyc_census_blocks`` 
 
   * name, popn_total, boroname, the_geom
 
 * ``nyc_streets``
 
   * name, type, the_geom
   
 * ``nyc_subway_stations``
 
   * name, the_geom
 
 * ``nyc_neighborhoods``
 
   * name, boroname, the_geom

Exercises
---------

 * **"What is the length of all streets in New York, as measured in UTM 18?"**
 
   .. code-block:: sql

     SELECT Sum(ST_Length(the_geom))
       FROM nyc_streets;

   :: 
   
     10418904.7172
      
 * **"What is the WKT definition of SRID 2831?"**   
    
   .. code-block:: sql

     SELECT srtext FROM spatial_ref_sys
     WHERE SRID = 2831;

Or, via `prj2epsg <http://prj2epsg.org/epsg/2831>`_

 ::

  PROJCS["NAD83(HARN) / New York Long Island", 
  GEOGCS["NAD83(HARN)", 
    DATUM["NAD83 (High Accuracy Regional Network)", 
      SPHEROID["GRS 1980", 6378137.0, 298.257222101, AUTHORITY["EPSG","7019"]], 
      TOWGS84[-0.991, 1.9072, 0.5129, 0.0257899075194932, -0.009650098960270402, -0.011659943232342112, 0.0], 
      AUTHORITY["EPSG","6152"]], 
    PRIMEM["Greenwich", 0.0, AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]], 
    UNIT["degree", 0.017453292519943295], 
    AXIS["Geodetic longitude", EAST], 
    AXIS["Geodetic latitude", NORTH], 
    AUTHORITY["EPSG","4152"]], 
  PROJECTION["Lambert Conic Conformal (2SP)", AUTHORITY["EPSG","9802"]], 
  PARAMETER["central_meridian", -74.0], 
  PARAMETER["latitude_of_origin", 40.166666666666664], 
  PARAMETER["standard_parallel_1", 41.03333333333333], 
  PARAMETER["false_easting", 300000.0], 
  PARAMETER["false_northing", 0.0], 
  PARAMETER["scale_factor", 1.0], 
  PARAMETER["standard_parallel_2", 40.666666666666664], 
  UNIT["m", 1.0], 
  AXIS["Easting", EAST], 
  AXIS["Northing", NORTH], 
  AUTHORITY["EPSG","2831"]]
  

 * **"What is the length of all streets in New York, as measured in SRID 2831?"**
 
   .. code-block:: sql

     SELECT Sum(ST_Length(ST_Transform(the_geom,2831)))
       FROM nyc_streets;

   :: 
   
     10421993.706374
     
   .. note::
   
     The difference between the UTM 18 and the Stateplane Long Island measurements is (10421993 - 10418904)/10418904, or 0.02%. Calculated on the spheroid using :ref:`geography` the total street length is 10421999, which is closer to the Stateplane value. This is not surprising, since the Stateplane Long Island projection is precisely calibrated for a very small area (New York City) while UTM 18 has to provide reasonable results for a large regional area.
     
 * **"What is the KML representation of the point at 'Broad St' subway station?"**
 
   .. code-block:: sql
   
     SELECT ST_AsKML(the_geom) 
     FROM nyc_subway_stations
     WHERE name = 'Broad St';
     
   :: 
   
     <Point><coordinates>-74.010671468873468,40.707104815584088</coordinates></Point>
     
Hey! The coordinates are in geographics even though we didn't call :command:`ST_Transform`, why? Because the KML standard dictates that all coordinates *must* be in geographics (ESPG:4326, in fact) so the :command:`ST_AsKML` function does the transformation automatically.