gvSIG-Desktop 1.1. Manual de usuario.

The “Difference” geoprocess works with two layers, the “input layer” and the “overlay layer”. It is known as “Spatial NOT” and allows you to obtain the areas in a layer which are not present in the other layer. The geometries in both the “input layer” and the “overlay layer" must be polygons. The alphanumerical schema of the “input layer” will remain intact in the "result layer", as in the end it gives more information about it.

This geoprocess is very useful in numerous situations. For example, it can be used to complement the "Clip" geoprocess. If “Clip” allows you to exclude everything that does not belong to a geographical area under study, "Difference" allows you to do exactly the opposite; exclude a specific area from our working layer.

A useful example:

Transferring territorial jurisdiction between different governing bodies. Thus, if the national government transfers certain jurisdiction to a regional authority, it can decide to exclude the geographical area of the transfer in question from its data bases.