Previously, AsterixDB used to have such functions [1] prefixed with "create-*()". The functions are still in the master [2] .. but not documented. For the current spatial constructors, I think they're inspired by WKT. I cannot be helpful on explaining the reason why... sorry!
[1] https://github.com/apache/asterixdb/blob/release-0.8.7/asterix-doc/src/site/markdown/aql/functions.md [2] https://github.com/apache/asterixdb/blob/master/asterixdb/asterix-om/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/om/functions/BuiltinFunctions.java On Sun, May 14, 2017 at 8:00 PM, Preston Carman <[email protected]> wrote: > I have question about the format used by AsterixDB to store points, > lines, etc.[1]. As we are adding support for other formats [2], I > wanted to ask a question about our current format. In the current > format, we use a keyword to specify the type followed by parenthesis > around a specially formatted string. The uses spaces and commas to > separate numeric values for defining the given geo data type. Why use > a string with a special string format? > > Current Examples: > Point : point("80.10d, -10E5") > Line : line("10.1234,11.1e-1 +10.2E-2,-11.22") > Rectangle : rectangle("5.1,11.8 87.6,15.6548") > Circle : circle("10.1234,1.11 0.102") > Polygon : polygon("-1.2,+1.3e2 -2.14E+5,2.15 -3.5e+2,03.6 -4.6E-3,+4.81") > > Is there a reason you would not want to use numeric types instead of > specially defined string? Or even reused types to define new types > like using points to define a line. The following are some examples of > how we could reuse AsterixDB types to define points, lines, etc.: > > Type Based Example > Point : point(double, double) > Line : line(point(double,double), point(double,double)) > Rectangle : rectangle(point(double,double), point(double,double)) > Circle : circle(point(double,double),double) > Polygon : polygon(point(double,double), point(double,double), > point(double,double), point(double,double)) > > It seems the other formats we are looking at reuse numeric type in > their type definitions. Thoughts? > > [1] http://asterixdb.apache.org/docs/0.9.1/datamodel.html# > PrimitiveTypesPoint > [2] https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ASTERIXDB-1371 > -- *Regards,* Wail Alkowaileet
