In geographic information systems, a
feature is an object that can have a geographic location and other properties.
Common types of geometries include points, arcs, and
. Carriageways and
are examples of feature data. Features can be labeled when displayed on a map.
Feature types
The definition of features that share membership of a common theme is a
feature type, though there are a number of terms for this characteristic, including
category,
feature class,
group,
layer,
level,
object, and
theme.
Layer served as the traditional term of choice, but use of this word has declined, as data has become more object-oriented and less concerned with cartographic layering.
Data modelers can use feature types to create a hierarchical structure.
See also
