Chapter 11. SQL/MM – A Basis for Cross-platform, Inter-operable, and Reusable SQL

While Oracle's SDO_GEOMETRY type is very widely used, even by the open source community, which promotes the virtues of standards conformance and compliance, many in the geospatial industry still criticize Oracle's SDO_GEOMETRY for its lack of perceived standards compliance. Whether this criticism is based on ignorance or maleficence, SDO_GEOMETRY is standards compliant in its storage, geometry description, and with some functions, but its API is not fully compliant.

However, SDO_GEOMETRY is not the whole story. Oracle also provides an ST_GEOMETRY object type, which is an implementation that is based on the ISO 13249-3, Information Technology – Database Language Spatial – SQL Multimedia and Applications Packages – Part 3: Spatial standard (hereafter known as SQL/MM). This chapter aims to show that such criticism of standards compliance of Oracle is limited and ill informed, through an exposure of the benefits...