ST_Buffer

ST_Buffer returns 2D geometry that represents all points whose distance from the input geometry projected on the xy-Cartesian plane is less than or equal to the input distance.

Syntax

ST_Buffer(geom, distance)

ST_Buffer(geom, distance, number_of_segments_per_quarter_circle)

Arguments

geom

A value of data type GEOMETRY or an expression that evaluates to a GEOMETRY type.

distance

A value of data type DOUBLE PRECISION that represents distance (or radius) of the buffer.

number_of_segments_per_quarter_circle

A value of data type INTEGER. This value determines the number of points to approximate a quarter circle around each vertex of the input geometry. Negative values default to zero. The default is 8.

Return type

GEOMETRY

The ST_Buffer function returns two-dimensional (2D) geometry in the xy-Cartesian plane.

If geom is a GEOMETRYCOLLECTION, then an error is returned.

Examples

The following SQL returns the buffer of the input linestring.

SELECT ST_AsEwkt(ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('LINESTRING(1 2,5 2,5 8)'), 2));

               st_asewkt  
POLYGON((-1 2,-0.96157056080646 2.39018064403226,-0.847759065022573 2.76536686473018,-0.662939224605089 3.11114046603921,-0.414213562373093 3.4142135623731,-0.111140466039201 3.66293922460509,0.234633135269824 3.84775906502257,0.609819355967748 3.96157056080646,1 4,3 4,3 8,3.03842943919354 8.39018064403226,3.15224093497743 8.76536686473018,3.33706077539491 9.11114046603921,3.58578643762691 9.4142135623731,3.8888595339608 9.66293922460509,4.23463313526982 9.84775906502257,4.60981935596775 9.96157056080646,5 10,5.39018064403226 9.96157056080646,5.76536686473018 9.84775906502257,6.11114046603921 9.66293922460509,6.4142135623731 9.41421356237309,6.66293922460509 9.1111404660392,6.84775906502258 8.76536686473017,6.96157056080646 8.39018064403225,7 8,7 2,6.96157056080646 1.60981935596774,6.84775906502257 1.23463313526982,6.66293922460509 0.888859533960796,6.41421356237309 0.585786437626905,6.1111404660392 0.33706077539491,5.76536686473018 0.152240934977427,5.39018064403226 0.0384294391935391,5 0,1 0,0.609819355967744 0.0384294391935391,0.234633135269821 0.152240934977427,-0.111140466039204 0.337060775394909,-0.414213562373095 0.585786437626905,-0.662939224605091 0.888859533960796,-0.847759065022574 1.23463313526982,-0.961570560806461 1.60981935596774,-1 2))

The following SQL returns the buffer of the input point geometry which approximates a circle. Because the command doesn't specify the number of segments per quarter circle, the function uses the default value of eight segments to approximate the quarter circle.

SELECT ST_AsEwkt(ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('POINT(3 4)'), 2));

               st_asewkt
POLYGON((1 4,1.03842943919354 4.39018064403226,1.15224093497743 4.76536686473018,1.33706077539491 5.11114046603921,1.58578643762691 5.4142135623731,1.8888595339608 5.66293922460509,2.23463313526982 5.84775906502257,2.60981935596775 5.96157056080646,3 6,3.39018064403226 5.96157056080646,3.76536686473019 5.84775906502257,4.11114046603921 5.66293922460509,4.4142135623731 5.41421356237309,4.66293922460509 5.1111404660392,4.84775906502258 4.76536686473017,4.96157056080646 4.39018064403225,5 4,4.96157056080646 3.60981935596774,4.84775906502257 3.23463313526982,4.66293922460509 2.8888595339608,4.41421356237309 2.58578643762691,4.1111404660392 2.33706077539491,3.76536686473018 2.15224093497743,3.39018064403226 2.03842943919354,3 2,2.60981935596774 2.03842943919354,2.23463313526982 2.15224093497743,1.8888595339608 2.33706077539491,1.58578643762691 2.58578643762691,1.33706077539491 2.8888595339608,1.15224093497743 3.23463313526982,1.03842943919354 3.60981935596774,1 4))

The following SQL returns the buffer of the input point geometry which approximates a circle. Because the command specifies 3 as the number of segments per quarter circle, the function uses three segments to approximate the quarter circle.

SELECT ST_AsEwkt(ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('POINT(3 4)'), 2, 3));

               st_asewkt
POLYGON((1 4,1.26794919243112 5,2 5.73205080756888,3 6,4 5.73205080756888,4.73205080756888 5,5 4,4.73205080756888 3,4 2.26794919243112,3 2,2 2.26794919243112,1.26794919243112 3,1 4))