MAGIC revisited: An object-oriented solution to the cadastral maintenance problem

Abstract This paper has evolved from the ongoing research in the area of “Optimising, Maintaining and Updating the Spatial Accuracy of Digital Cadastral Data Bases”, published earlier in The Australian Surveyor [Hesse et al. 1990]. This paper gives additional background information for the process described in the first paper and describes new findings based on an object-oriented software implementation. The concepts of this relatively new software development approach are examined and their advantages for cadastral modelling and software creation are demonstrated. The resultant software prototype, programmed in Smalltalk/V286, has been implemented and tested at the Department of Surveying and Land Information, The University of Melbourne. Future trends are discussed with special emphasis on the rapidly changing software platforms, their impact on cadastral and LIS issues and the challenges ahead for the continuing education of Land and Geographic Information professionals.