Description

Returns a geometry that represents all points whose distance from this Geometry is less than or equal to distance. Calculations are in the Spatial Reference System of this Geometry. The optional third parameter sets the number of segments used to approximate a quarter circle (defaults to 8).

Units are always measured in units of the spatial reference system.

The inputs can be POINTS, MULTIPOINTS, LINESTRINGS, MULTILINESTRINGS, POLYGONS, MULTIPOLYGONS, and GeometryCollections.

	This function ignores the third dimension (z) and will always give a 2-d buffer even when presented with a 3d-geometry.

Performed by the GEOS module.

This method implements the OpenGIS Simple Features Implementation Specification for SQL. OGC SPEC s2.1.1.3

This method implements the SQL/MM specification: SQL-MM 3: 5.1.17

	People often make the mistake of using this function to try to do radius searches. Creating a buffer to to a radius search is slow and pointless. Use ST_DWithin instead.

Examples

Default 8 segments quarter circle (promising)

2 segments quarter circle (lame)

--A buffered point approximates a circle
-- A buffered point forcing approximation of (see diagram)
-- 2 points per circle is poly with 8 sides (see diagram)
SELECT ST_NPoints(ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('POINT(100 90)'), 50)) As promisingcircle_pcount,
ST_NPoints(ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('POINT(100 90)'), 50, 2)) As lamecircle_pcount;

promisingcircle_pcount | lamecircle_pcount
------------------------+-------------------
			 33 |                9

--A lighter but lamer circle
-- only 2 points per quarter circle is an octagon
--Below is a 100 meter octagon
-- Note coordinates are in NAD 83 long lat which we transform
to Mass state plane meter and then buffer to get measurements in meters;
SELECT ST_AsText(ST_Buffer(
ST_Transform(
ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(-71.063526, 42.35785),4269), 26986)
,100,2)) As octagon;
----------------------
POLYGON((236057.59057465 900908.759918696,236028.301252769 900838.049240578,235
957.59057465 900808.759918696,235886.879896532 900838.049240578,235857.59057465
900908.759918696,235886.879896532 900979.470596815,235957.59057465 901008.759918
696,236028.301252769 900979.470596815,236057.59057465 900908.759918696))

--Buffer is often also used as a poor man's polygon fixer or a sometimes speedier unioner
--Sometimes able to fix invalid polygons - using below
-- using below on anything but a polygon will result in empty geometry
-- and for geometry collections kill anything in the collection that is not a polygon
--Poor man's bad poly fixer
SELECT ST_IsValid(foo.invalidpoly)  as isvalid, ST_IsValid(ST_Buffer(foo.invalidpoly,0.0)) as bufferisvalid,
ST_AsText(ST_Buffer(foo.invalidpoly,0.0)) As newpolytextrep
FROM (SELECT ST_GeomFromText('POLYGON((-1 2, 3 4, 5 6, -1 2, 5 6, -1 2))') as invalidpoly) As foo
NOTICE:  Self-intersection at or near point -1 2
isvalid | bufferisvalid |        newpolytextrep
---------+---------------+------------------------------
f       | t             | POLYGON((-1 2,5 6,3 4,-1 2))

--Poor man's polygon unioner
SELECT ST_AsText(the_geom) as textorig, ST_AsText(ST_Buffer(foo.the_geom,0.0)) As textbuffer
FROM (SELECT ST_Collect('POLYGON((-1 2, 3 4, 5 6, -1 2))', 'POLYGON((-1 2, 2 3, 5 6, -1 2))') As the_geom) as foo;
				 textorig                          |            textbuffer
-----------------------------------------------------------+--------------------
MULTIPOLYGON(((-1 2,3 4,5 6,-1 2)),((-1 2,2 3,5 6,-1 2))) | POLYGON((-1 2,5 6,3 4,2 3,-1 2))


		

See Also

ST_Collect, ST_DWithin, ST_SetSRID, ST_Transform, ST_Union