PostGIS

ST_ExteriorRing

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8.4. Geometry Accessors

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Name

ST_ExteriorRing — Returns a LineString representing the exterior ring of a Polygon.

Synopsis

geometry +`*`+ST_ExteriorRing*(`geometry `a_polygon`)`;

Description

Returns a LINESTRING representing the exterior ring (shell) of a POLYGON. Returns NULL if the geometry is not a polygon.

Note

This function does not support MULTIPOLYGONs. For MULTIPOLYGONs use in conjunction with ST_GeometryN or ST_Dump

check This method implements the SQL/MM specification. SQL-MM 3: 8.2.3, 8.3.3

check This function supports 3d and will not drop the z-index.

Examples

--If you have a table of polygons
SELECT gid, ST_ExteriorRing(geom) AS ering
FROM sometable;

--If you have a table of MULTIPOLYGONs
--and want to return a MULTILINESTRING composed of the exterior rings of each polygon
SELECT gid, ST_Collect(ST_ExteriorRing(geom)) AS erings
    FROM (SELECT gid, (ST_Dump(geom)).geom As geom
            FROM sometable) As foo
GROUP BY gid;

--3d Example
SELECT ST_AsEWKT(
    ST_ExteriorRing(
    ST_GeomFromEWKT('POLYGON((0 0 1, 1 1 1, 1 2 1, 1 1 1, 0 0 1))')
    )
);

st_asewkt
---------
LINESTRING(0 0 1,1 1 1,1 2 1,1 1 1,0 0 1)

See Also