Course GISC 6388 501: GIS Application Software Development

Instructor Dr. Yongwan Chun

Term Spring 2010
Meetings Monday 7:00pm - 9:45pm, GR 3.402

Contact Information

Office Phone 972-883-4719

Office Location GR 3.208
Email Address ywchun@utdallas.edu
Office Hours Thursday 9:30am – 11:30am or by appointment
Other Information eLearning will be used for this course

General Course Information

Pre-requisites,
GISC 6381 and GISC 5317, taking of Spatial Analysis and
Co-requisites, &
Modeling is recommended.
other restriction

This course covers issues related to application development in

GIS. ESRI ArcObjects, one of the latest GIS software development
toolkits, and associated computer languages will be taught and
used. Topics covered include spatial and attribute data
Course
management, data conversion, projection, data exploration and
description
analysis, raster based analysis and modeling, etc. Emphasis is on
designing and developing GIS applications programmatically.
Students are expected to learn GIS application development
through lab exercises as well as lectures. Students will also need to
complete an independent or group final project.

Upon completing this class, students will be able to:
 Understand fundamental processes to develop GIS application
Learning software programmatically.
Outcomes  Conduct various coding skills to implement functions that can
complete required tasks for GIS applications.
 Independently design and develop real-world application
software for practical use.

Chang, K-T., 2005, Programming ArcObjects with VBA: A Task-

Oriented Approach, 2nd (ed.), CRC Press LLC, ISBN:
Required Texts & 9780849392832
materials Robert Burke, 2003, Getting to Know ArcObjects:
Programming ArcGIS with VBA Updated for ArcGIS 9.1 and 9.2,
Redland, CA: ESRI Press, ISBN: 1-58948-018-X

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 Suggested Texts,
Additional materials will be provided via WebCT
Reading, &
 Exploring ArcObjects (for ArcGIS 8.3)[EA] and so on
Materials

Assignments & Academic Calendar (tentative)

Week Date Topics Reading

Introduction & Understanding VBA Ch2,3
1 1/11 Lab 1: VBA Environment & Basics
Lab 2: Branching, Subroutines, and Looping

2 1/18 Martin Luther King Day (No class)

COM, OMD, and ArcObjects Ch1
3 1/25
Lab 3: Custom Class, Interface, and ArcObjects Diagram [EA] Ch1
Dataset and Layer Management & Custom UI controls [EA]
4 2/1 Ch3, Ch4
Lab 4: Maps and Layers
Data Display Ch8
5 2/8
Lab 5: Layer Symbols
Data Exploration Ch9
6 2/15 Lab 6: Feature Display and Selection
Project Proposal Due
Map Layout [EA] Ch4
7 2/22
Lab 7: Map Layout
Attribute Data Management Ch5
8 3/1
Lab 8: Editing Tables
Geoprocessing & Data Conversion Ch6
9 3/8
Lab 9: Geoprocessing
10 3/15 Spring break (No class)
Geometry & Vector Data Operations Ch10
11 3/22 Lab 10: Vector Data Operations
Project Progress Demo
Raster Data Operations Ch11
12 3/29
Lab 11: Raster Data Operations
Terrain Mapping and Analysis & Spatial Interpolation Ch12, Ch13
13 4/5
Lab 12: Terrain mapping & Spatial interpolation
Extending ArcGIS Desktop with VB .NET I
14 4/12
Students work on final project
AAG Meeting (No class)
15 4/19
Students work on final project
Extending ArcGIS Desktop with VB . NET II
16 4/26
Students work on final project
17 5/3 Final project presentations

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* Note: This schedule is subject to change.
Additional reading materials may be provided.

Course Policies

Lab assignments: 60%

Grading (credit)
Final Project: 35%
Crite ria
Class attendance and participation: 5%
No make-up exam and/or project will be given without a legitimate excuse
Make-up Exams accompanied by proper formal documentation (e.g., a doctor’s excuse).

Extra Credit May be given to optional lab assignments.

Late submission will be penalized for 10 % per day being late. Late
Late Work submission a fter one week since the due date will not be graded.
Class Class attendance is required. Students are expect to arrive to class on time
Attendance and to be participate in class discussion properly and actively.
Students arriving to a class session after it has begun are expected to enter quietly
and take a seat in the least disruptive matter: students leaving a class session early
are expected to do so in the least disruptive manner. Students are expected to
Classroom display a positive attitude toward learn ing by conducting themselves with civility,
respect for others (e.g., sharing thoughts and actively listening to the thoughts and
Citizenship comments of peers and the instructor), and general good, courteous behavior,
including not engaging in cell phone (which should be turned off), personal
movies/TV and personal newspaper (or other reading materials) usage, and not
participating in social discussion groups during class time.
The University of Texas System and The Un iversity of Texas at Dallas have rules
and regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the
responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable
about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities.
General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD
publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each
academic year.
The University of Texas at Dallas ad min isters student discipline within the
procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and
Student described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas
Conduct and System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Ru les on Student Services
Discipline and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of
these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are availab le to assist students in interpreting the
rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the
responsibilit ies of cit izenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and
local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative
rules. Students are subject to discipline for v iolat ing the standards of conduct
whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal
penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
The faculty expects fro m its students a high level of responsibility and academic
honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute
Academic integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperat ive that a
student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in h is or her scholastic
Integrity work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or
omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or

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 the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general
rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating,
plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of
academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.
Plagiaris m, especially fro m the web, fro m port ions of papers for other
classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the
university’s policy on plagiaris m (see general catalog for details). This course will
use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiaris m
and is over 90% effect ive.
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of
communicat ion between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the
same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each
individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student
email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and
that faculty and staff consider email fro m students official only if it originates
E-mail Use fro m a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree
of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the
transmitted information. UTD furn ishes each student with a free email account
that is to be used in all co mmun ication with university personnel. The Depart ment
of Informat ion Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have
their U.T. Dallas mail fo rwarded to other accounts.
The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any
collegelevel courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course
Withdrawal catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's
responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements fro m any class. In other words, I
from Class cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure
that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you ch oose not to
attend the class once you are enrolled.
Procedures for student grievances are found in Tit le V, Ru les on Student Services
and Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations,
or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student
first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor,
administrator, or co mmittee with whom the grievance orig inates (hereafter called
“the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for
assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the
Student grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
Grievance respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response
Procedures provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School
Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student
may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education,
and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision
of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals
process will be d istributed to all involved parties.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office
of the Dean of Students, where staff members are availab le to assist students in
interpreting the rules and regulations.
As per university policy, inco mplete grades will be granted only for work
unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% o f the course work has
Incomplete been completed. An inco mplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks
Grades fro m the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to
complete the course and to remove the inco mplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomp lete grade is changed automatically to a g rade of F.
Disability The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational
opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Serv ices is
Services located in roo m 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and

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 Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30
p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact informat ion for the Office of Disability Serv ices is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Bo x 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those
reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of
disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibit ions
against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are
blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for examp le, a
research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired).
Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled
in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special
services such as registration, notetaking, or mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her p rofessors of the need for
such an accommodation. Disability Serv ices provides students with letters to
present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special acco mmodation shou ld contact the
professor after class or during office hours.
The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student fro m class or other
required activit ies for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a
religion whose places of worship are exempt fro m property tax under Sect ion
11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon
as possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The
student, so excused, will be allo wed to take the exam or co mp lete the assignment
within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the
absence, up to a maximu m of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and
Religious Holy completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence.
Days A student who fails to comp lete the exam or assignment within the prescribed
period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e.,
for the purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar
disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to
complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the
instructor may request a ruling fro m the chief executive o fficer of the institution,
or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into
account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b ), and the student and instructor will
abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.
Off-Campus Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state
Instruction and law and University policies and procedures regarding travel and ris k-related
activities. Information regard ing these rules and regulations may be found at
Course http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
Activities informat ion is availab le fro m the office of the school dean.

Note: There descriptions/timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor