software recommendations - Seeking Python tools/modules/add-ins for GIS?

With ArcGIS 10, Python has become the de-facto scripting language for ESRI. While leading Open source software like QGIS, GeoServer, PostGIS all supports Python. Thus it became important to know/learn Python for GIS developers a well as users.

Can anybody make a list of such tools/modules/add-ins in Python that are crucial in GIS?

Answer

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  NumPy: NumPy is the fundamental package for scientific computing with Python. It contains among other things:

  
  
  
  
  
  • a powerful N-dimensional array object
  
  
  • sophisticated (broadcasting) functions
  
  
  • tools for integrating C/C++ and Fortran code
  
  
  • useful linear algebra, Fourier transform, and random number capabilities
  
  
  
  

  Besides its obvious scientific uses, NumPy can also be used as an efficient multi-dimensional container of generic data. Arbitrary data-types can be defined. This allows NumPy to seamlessly and speedily integrate with a wide variety of databases.

  
  


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  SciPy: SciPy (pronounced "Sigh Pie") is open-source software for mathematics, science, and engineering. It is also the name of a very popular conference on scientific programming with Python. The SciPy library depends on NumPy, which provides convenient and fast N-dimensional array manipulation. The SciPy library is built to work with NumPy arrays, and provides many user-friendly and efficient numerical routines such as routines for numerical integration and optimization. Together, they run on all popular operating systems, are quick to install, and are free of charge. NumPy and SciPy are easy to use, but powerful enough to be depended upon by some of the world's leading scientists and engineers. If you need to manipulate numbers on a computer and display or publish the results, give SciPy a try!

  
  



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  Shapely: Shapely is a BSD-licensed Python package for manipulation and analysis of planar geometric objects. It is based on the widely deployed GEOS (the engine of PostGIS) and JTS (from which GEOS is ported) libraries. This C dependency is traded for the ability to execute with blazing speed. Shapely is not concerned with data formats or coordinate systems, but can be readily integrated with packages that are.

  
  


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  GDAL Python bindings: This Python package and extensions are a number of tools for programming and manipulating the GDAL Geospatial Data Abstraction Library.

  
  


• GeoDjango: GeoDjango intends to be a world-class geographic Web framework. Its goal is to make it as easy as possible to build GIS Web applications and harness the power of spatially enabled data.


• PyProj


• SpatialPython: Nicely documented github repository.