GIS Dictionary >  encoding

GIS Dictionary

Definitions for GIS terms related to operations such as analysis, GIS modeling and web-based GIS, cartography, and Esri software.

Now available for purchase: A to Z GIS: An illustrated dictionary of geographic information systems.

encoding

1. [data conversion] The recording or reformatting of data into a computer format. Data may be encoded to reduce storage, increase security, or to transfer it between systems using different file formats. In GIS, analog graphic data, such as paper maps and images, are encoded into computer formats by scanning or digitizing.