Maptime: Spatial databases and their use (part 1 of 2)

Eric Theise (@erictheise (http://twitter.com/erictheise)) will be leading us in a hands-on lesson about spatial databases!

From Eric:

Crack your knuckles, this'll be a fast-paced, hands-on Maptime. We'll start with an overview and installation of PostgreSQL, PostGIS, and supporting utilities. We'll talk about creating databases, address basic security concerns, then run through examples of what you can do with a relational database, and one that's spatially-enabled to boot. We'll start by using Leaflet to plot some basic markers, then advance to working with data from OpenStreetMap and shapefiles to generate and serve our own map tiles.

Next week, we'll build on this foundation and do some intermediate-level client-side work with Leaflet, GeoJSON, and more.

We'll be moving quickly, so advance preparation is key. It takes a long time to download all the pieces we'll be using, so start this weekend!

Xcode:

Download this from the Apple App Store. Once you've installed it, go to Preferences and install the Command Line Tools Component.

Homebrew:

The single line you need to get going with Homebrew is on this page: http://brew.sh/ More detailed information is given at https://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/wiki/installation

There's a helpful write-up on setting up these tools, as well as git, at http://www.moncefbelyamani.com/how-to-install-xcode-homebrew-git-rvm-ruby-on-mac/

Go no further than Step 5! You don't need RVM, Ruby, or Rails for what we'll be doing.

TileMill:

You may have already downloaded TileMill at an earlier Maptime, but get it from https://www.mapbox.com/tilemill/

I'll be setting up a fresh installation over the weekend to find any rough spots, and will list other requirements as comments here on the Maptime Meetup page.