Glossary#

Field notebook#

A nomadic instrument (now usually electronic) used to record data collected in a field of study that can be interpreted. In this sense, the field notebook is a tool for systematizing experiments in order to be able to analyze the results afterwards.

Land survey coding#

A codified survey is a land survey (made with a total station or a GPS) where each point is associated with one or more codes in the field book. The codification allows assigning the drawn objects automatically to the right drawing layer.

GeoPackage#

The choice was made to use the GeoPackage (.gpkg) as the central format of the plugin for several reasons:

  • OGC standardized format (unlike [SpatiaLite]);

  • database stored as a single flat file (flat database) that can store multiple sets of data;

  • ability to store elements in addition to geographic data: QGIS project, QGIS styles, etc. The logic is therefore close to that of the CAD[^1] professions which are used to having data and drawing;

  • default format of QGIS, including excellent integration with the APIs and tools available elsewhere in the software.

In the plugin, it is used as the main storage format and also as a pivot format. It allows archiving of data (e.g. topographic plan of a sector).

Codified survey#

A codified survey is a land survey (made with a total station or a GPS) where each point is associated with one or more codes in the field notebook. Contrary to a “simple” survey via a field notebook, is done with the help of precision devices (total station theodolite).

The codification allows assigning the drawn objects automatically to the right drawing layer.

See also surveying.

Topometry#

All the geometric means used to measure the relative positions of points. It is therefore the basic toolbox of the surveyor.

1

Computer Aided Design