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Summary

Although GIS technology is just a few decades old, its analytical approaches have evolved as much as its mapping capabilities and practical expressions. In the 1960s analytical software development primarily occurred on campuses and its products relegated to library shelves. These formative years provided the basic organization for both data and processing structures found in a modern GIS. A raging debate centered on “vector vs. raster” formats and efficient algorithms for processing— technical considerations with minimal resonance outside of the small (but growing) group of innovators.