ISO 19109:2025

Overview

ISO 19109:2025 - Geographic information: General feature model and rules for application schema defines the General Feature Model (GFM) as the metamodel for creating application schemas used in geo‑information modelling. It explains the GFM and provides rules for creating and documenting application schemas, including principles for defining features and transitioning from conceptual model concepts to data types. The standard supports conceptual modelling, UML‑based application schemas, integration of standardized schemas from other ISO geographic information standards, and rules for spatial, temporal and quality aspects of features.

Key topics and requirements

• General Feature Model (GFM): Metamodel describing feature types, properties, associations, inheritance and constraints needed for consistent application schemas.
• Application schema rules: Requirements for modelling features, attributes, association roles, value assignments and inheritance to ensure semantic consistency and interoperability.
• Use of Conceptual Schema Languages (CSLs): Guidance for using a conceptual schema language (including UML) to express application schemas and for documenting schema elements.
• Spatial, temporal and quality conformance classes: Rules for modelling spatial attributes (geometries, complexes), temporal properties, quality attributes and coverages.
• Transition to data types: Principles for mapping conceptual model constructs to data types in application schemas.
• Integration: Rules to integrate standardized schemas from other ISO geographic information standards into an application schema.
• Scope limitations: The standard does not prescribe a single conceptual schema language, specific application schemas, feature catalogue representations, metadata representation, schema-to‑schema mapping rules, software implementation details or programming practices.

Applications and who should use it

ISO 19109:2025 is intended for professionals who design and document geo‑information application schemas to achieve semantic clarity and interoperability:

• GIS data architects and modelers creating conceptual and application schemas for spatial data exchange.
• Standards and interoperability teams integrating multiple ISO geographic schemas.
• UML modelers who need rules for representing features and properties in UML application schemas.
• Data governance and metadata specialists defining consistent feature types, properties and constraints for national or domain data infrastructures.
• System integrators and vendors that consume standardized application schemas (for design guidance; note the standard does not define software implementation).

Practical uses include designing interoperable data models for cadastral systems, environmental data exchanges, utilities, transportation networks and any domain requiring clear feature semantics.

Related standards

ISO 19109:2025 is intended to work alongside other ISO geographic information standards by providing a metamodel and integration rules. It complements other standards that define spatial referencing, coverages, metadata and conceptual schema languages used across the ISO geographic information family.

Keywords: ISO 19109:2025, General Feature Model, GFM, application schema, geographic information, geo‑information modelling, UML, conceptual modelling, spatial data interoperability.