=GeoRuby
This is GeoRuby 1.2.1. It is intended as a holder for data returned from PostGIS and the Spatial Extensions of MySql. The data model roughly follows the OGC "Simple Features for SQL" specification (see http://www.opengis.org/docs/99-049.pdf), although without any kind of advanced functionalities (such as geometric operators or reprojections). 

===Available data types
The following geometric data types are provided :
- Point
- Line string
- Linear ring
- Polygon
- Multi point
- Multi line string
- Multi polygon
- Geometry collection

They can be in 2D, 3DZ, 3DM, and 4D.

On top of this an Envelope class is available, to contain the bounding box of a geometry.

===Input and output
These geometries can be input and output in WKB/EWKB/WKT/EWKT format (as well as the related HexWKB and HexEWKB formats). HexEWKB and WKB are the default form under which geometric data is returned respectively from PostGIS and MySql.

GeoRSS Simple, GeoRSS W3CGeo, GeoRSS GML can also be input and output. Note that they will not output valid RSS, but just the part strictly concerning the geometry as outlined in http://www.georss.org/1/ . Since the model does not allow multiple geometries, for geometry collections, only the first geometry will be output. Similarly, for polygons, the GeoRSS output will only contain the outer ring. As for W3CGeo output, only points can be output, so the first point of the geometry is chosen. By default the Simple format is output. Envelope can also be output in these formats: The box geometric type is chosen (except for W3CGeo, where the center of the envelope is chose). These formats can also be input and a GeoRuby geometry will be created. Note that it will not read a valid RSS file, only a geometry string.

On top of that, there is now support for KML output. As for GeoRSS, a valid KML file will not be output, but only the geometric data. Options <tt>:id</tt>, <tt>:extrude</tt>, <tt>:tesselate</tt> and <tt>:altitude_mode</tt> can be given. Note that if the <tt>:altitude_mode</tt> option is not passed or set to <tt>clampToGround</tt>, the altitude data will not be output even if present. Envelopes output a LatLonAltBox instead of a geometry.

===SHP Reading
Support for reading ESRI shapefiles (http://www.esri.com/library/whitepapers/pdfs/shapefile.pdf) has been added. A tool called <tt>shp2sql.rb</tt> is also provided : it shows how to use the SHP reading functionality together with the spatial adapter plugin for Rails to import spatial features into MySQL and PostGIS.

===Installation
To install the latest version, just type :
      gem install GeoRuby

===Changes since the last version
- Reading of ESRI shapefiles
- Addition of a small tool to import spatial features in MySQL and PostGIS from a SHP file

===Coming in the next versions
- Writing of SHP files
- Better shp2sql import tool
- Documentation
- Geometric operators

===Acknowledgement
The SHP reading part uses a modified version of the DBF library (http://rubyforge.org/projects/dbf/) by Keith Morrison (http://infused.org).

===License
GeoRuby is released under the MIT license.

===Support
Any questions, enhancement proposals, bug notifications or corrections can be sent to mailto:guilhem.vellut@gmail.com.