LINESTRING0

LINESTRING0 is a nonstandard label used in some geographic information system (GIS) tutorials and datasets to denote a simple two-dimensional linestring geometry. The "0" in the name is a naming convention chosen in instructional material to distinguish this example from the official LINESTRING type and from other variants. It does not represent an official geometry type in standard GIS specifications.

Overview and representation

A LINESTRING0 describes an ordered sequence of points in the plane, typically written as a series of coordinate pairs that define a polyline. In documentation or code samples, it is commonly shown as LINESTRING0(x0 y0, x1 y1, ..., xn yn). The geometry itself is ordinary 2D data unless explicitly extended with a Z or M component in another context. Practically, parsing LINESTRING0 in real software often yields the same geometric result as parsing a standard LINESTRING, since the suffix is purely nominal and not part of the coordinate data.

Applications

LINESTRING0 is used mainly for teaching, testing, and benchmarking. It provides a straightforward, easy-to-read example for illustrating operations such as length calculation, intersections, containment tests, and spatial predicates. It also helps in creating small, deterministic datasets for unit tests without introducing real-world complexity.

Limitations and considerations

Because LINESTRING0 is not part of any official standard, it may not be recognized by GIS libraries or data formats, and its use can cause confusion or interoperability issues. When sharing data, it is advisable to use the standard LINESTRING representation or clearly explain that LINESTRING0 is a tutorial label rather than a formal data type.

Example

LINESTRING0(0 0, 1 1, 2 0) is a common educational example illustrating a three-point linestring.