corresponding components: other ’less’ complex 
objects and/or primitive elements which compose 
this complex object. 
- Map elements: a set of topologically related map 
elements: Nodes /Lines/ Polygons), which provide 
the spatial descriptions of Theme Objects. 
The primitive elements which are related to all 
Theme-objects in one Data Theme-Group are 
grouped in one ’pool’, referred to as Theme 0. 
This will preserve the topology between the 
spatial objects on both levels: in the theme as 
well as across themes. 
The semantic descriptors of terrain objects are 
given as a set of values for a given Attribute 
List which is defined in the Transfer’s Data 
Dictionary. Two sets of attributes can be assigned 
to theme’s objects: Standard Set (defined by the 
specifications), and Non-Standard Set (defined in 
agreement with the receiving agency). 
The structure of this Transfer in the physical 
volumes, as shown in figure (1), has the following 
schema: 
SET (1): Transfer Global Information Records: 
Administrative aspects, definition and area 
coverage, Data Dictionary. 
SET (2): Area-Tile Records: 
Definition, area coverage and description of 
contents, spatial coordinate reference, overall 
evaluation for the data quality. 
SET (3): Theme-Group Records: 
Definition of the Theme-Group and list of the 
Themes included. 
SET (4): Theme Records: 
1. Definition of the Theme and the type of its 
objects. 
2. Definition of Theme's Entity-Types 
(sub-classes) and definition of their objects 
attributes. 
3. Theme-Object Lists (object identifiers, 
quality parameters, attribute lists and 
reference to their spatial components (other 
objects and/or map elements). 
Elements Records 
Coordinates and 
SET (5): Primitive Map 
(Nodes/Points, Lines, Areas) 
topology of these elements. 
Further details are given in the Appendix. 
COMPUTER PACKAGES FOR DATA CONVERSION 
The development of standards for the exchange of 
digital data includes the design of 'interfaces' 
between the proposed standard and the various GIS 
systems. These include procedures and computer 
packages for the conversion of the data files in 
these systems to the Standard Format, and vice 
versa. 
The effort and time needed for this task should 
not be under estimated and it might exceed the 
benefits for their specialist applications. Its 
complexity vary according to the nature of the 
internal data structure of the database in 
comparison with those of the proposed Standard. 
Subset or ‘profiles’ of the proposed standard may 
therefore be required to simplify implementation 
for particular applications. 
Within the framework of the first prototype 
development, two computer packages 
(ARCINFO TO BAKO and BAKO TO ARCINFO) were 
234 
developed for the conversion of terrain 
information (organization, locations and 
attributes of terrain features), in the ARC/INFO 
files (where the  Bakosurtanal Database is 
resident) into the proposed Standard Format and 
vice versa. At this stage of development, these 
programs are based on a simplified ‘profile’ of 
the proposed Standard, and are subject to 
modification and expansion. The objectives of 
these packages are: 
- provide a tool for the exchange data files, 
extracted from the Bakosurtanal Database, to 
other agencies which are taking part in the 
testing of the first prototype. 
- give an example to follow in order to help BPPT 
in developing further ‘interfaces’ between this 
Standard and other available GIS systems in 
Indonesia. 
The program package ARCINFO TO BAKO consists of 
various modules which are executed in a similar 
sequence to that in Figure (1). The tasks of these 
modules is to process the information stored in 
the Bakosurtanal Topographic Database in the 
ARC/INFO MAPLIBRARY files, [5], and organize them 
in the required data structure and format: 
- Information about the organization of the 
terrain features in Area-Tiles, Theme-Groups, 
Themes and Theme's Entity-Types and 
Theme-Objects will be obtained from the 
MAPLIBRARY DATABASE MANAGEMENT Files and used to 
write the data sets: SET (1), SET (2), SET (3), 
SUB-SET (4.1), SUB-SET (4.2). 
- Semantic descriptors (Attributes) of themes 
objects vill be obtained from the INFO and other 
related Databases Files and used to write the 
data Set: SUB-SET (4.3). 
- Spatial descriptors (location and topology) of 
the theme’s objects will be defined by the basic 
map elements (Nodes, Points, Lines, Areas). 
These elements are described by their location 
(coordinates) and the topological relationships 
amongst them and obtained from ARC/INFO Files 
(ARC, PAL, CNT, LAB, AAT, PAT}, in. order to 
write the data set: SET (5). 
The program package BAKO TO ARCINFO will process 
the information encoded in the Transfer and 
organize them in ARC/INFO coverages and INFO 
files: 
- Information in data sets: SET (1), SET (2), 
SET - (3), SUB-SET (4.1), SUB-SET (4.2)' are 
organized in the MAPLIBRARY DATABASE MANAGEMENT 
Files. 
- Information in data set: SUB-SET (4.3) about 
object attributes are stored in INFO Tables, 
ARC/INFO Coverage-wise, and the references to 
map elements in SET (5) are used to pick up the 
corresponding elements which form the Theme’s 
objects and stored in ARC/INFO Files (ARC, PAL, 
CNT, LAB, AAT, PAT). 
Note: complex objects (formed from 'less' complex 
ones) are not considered in this version and 
only a simplified profile of this Standard is 
considered for the transfer of topologically 
structured vector data. 
These modules were written in FORTRAN Language and 
use the various subroutines in the ARC/INFO 
Programmer Library in order to access various data 
files in ARC/INFO, [1]. 
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT 
In the next phase of the LREP Project, 1992-1996, 
the task of testing and upgrading the proposed 
  
  
  
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