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# define_pages.h

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    00001 /*! \mainpage Introduction
    00002 <div class="mainpage">
    00003 <!-- This is the index.html page that the user first sees. -->
    00004 <p>The Feature Data Objects (FDO) application
    00005 programming interface (API) is a set of APIs used to
    00006 manipulate, define, and analyze geospatial information.
    00007 </p>
    00008 <p>FDO supports the retrieving and updating of spatial and non-spatial
    00009 GIS feature data through a rich classification model that is
    00010 based on OpenGIS and ISO standards.
    00011 </p>
    00012 <p>From the perspective of a client application user: the FDO API
    00013 provides consistent access to feature data,
    00014 whether it comes from a CAD-based data source, or from a
    00015 relational data store that supports rich classification. To
    00016 achieve this, FDO supports a model that can readily follow
    00017 the capabilities of each data source, allowing for consumer
    00018 applications functionality that is tailored to match that of
    00019 the data source. For example, some data sources may support
    00020 spatial queries, while others do not. Also, a flexible
    00021 metadata model is required in FDO, allowing clients to adapt
    00022 to the underlying feature schema exposed by each data source.
    00023 </p>
    00024 <p>From the perspective of a client application engineer: the
    00025 FDO API provides a common, general purpose abstraction layer
    00026 for accessing geospatial data from a variety of data sources.
    00027 The API is, in part, an interface specification of the
    00028 abstraction layer. A provider, such as FDO Provider for SDF, is
    00029 an implementation of the interface for a specific type of
    00030 data source, which in this example is an implementation for
    00031 Autodesk's spatial database format
    00032 (SDF). The API can support the standard data store
    00033 manipulation operations, such as querying, updating, versioning,
    00034 locking, and others, only when the underlying data store has
    00035 the same capabilities for these operations.
    00036 </p>
    00037 <h2>
    00038   Architecture
    00039 </h2>
    00040 <p>
    00041 The high-level architecture of FDO comprises feature
    00042 providers that plug into an application to expose a
    00043 consistent feature schema and a consistent interface for
    00044 interacting with geospatial feature data, regardless of the
    00045 underlying data store. The client applications interact
    00046 through the various FDO interfaces, such as
    00047 FdoIConnection or FdoICommand, using an FDO interface layer, or feature
    00048 access manager.
    00049 </p>
    00050 <p>
    00051 FDO is assembled in or consists of conceptual packages of similar
    00052 functionality. This packaging is reflected in the
    00053 substructure of the FDO SDK 'includes' folder. FDO commands,
    00054 provider-specific commands, and connections/capabilities
    00055 provide access to native data stores through each specific
    00056 FDO provider. Schema management (using XML), client services,
    00057 and filters/expressions are all provider-independent packages
    00058 that connect directly to the FDO API.
    00059 </p>
    00060 <p>
    00061 For more information, see <i>The Essential FDO</i>
    00062 and the <i>FDO Developer's Guide</i>.
    00063 </p>
    00064 \image html FDO_architecture.png
    00065 <br>
    00066 </div>
    00067 */
    00068 /// \defgroup typedefs
    00069 /// \defgroup enums
    00070

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