Modelling Spatial Whole–Part relationships using an ISO-TC211 conformant approach

The important role of Spatial Whole–Part relationships in spatial database design is widely recognized and several researches have proposed specific spatial models to classify these relationships and their related topological constraints. The recent ISO-TC211 standards have defined a spatial data model and its use in spatial database design. However, the modelling of topological constraints of Spatial Whole–Part relationships requires additional complex and counterintuitive expressions specified by using a formal constraint language. This paper shows the complexity of modelling Spatial Whole–Part relationships in ISO and proposes an approach for the definition of ISO conformant modelling abstractions which hide this kind of complexity to the database designer. This approach is applied to the definition of the modelling abstractions for Spatial Whole–Part relationships which cover all the Spatial Whole–Part relationships proposed in the literature.