ST_ShortestLine
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## Name

ST_ShortestLine — Returns the 2D shortest line between two geometries

## Synopsis

`geometry ST_ShortestLine(`geometry geom1, geometry geom2`)`;

## Description

Returns the 2-dimensional shortest line between two geometries. The line returned starts in `geom1` and ends in `geom2`. If `geom1` and `geom2` intersect the result is a line with start and end at an intersection point. The length of the line is the same as ST_Distance returns for g1 and g2.

Availability: 1.5.0

## Examples

Shortest line between Point and LineString

    SELECT ST_AsText(  ST_ShortestLine(
            'POINT (160 40)',
            'LINESTRING (10 30, 50 50, 30 110, 70 90, 180 140, 130 190)')
    	) As sline;
    ---------------------------------------------------------
     LINESTRING(160 40,125.75342465753425 115.34246575342466)

Shortest line between Polygons

    SELECT ST_AsText( ST_ShortestLine(
             'POLYGON ((190 150, 20 10, 160 70, 190 150))',
             ST_Buffer('POINT(80 160)', 30)
                  ) ) AS llinewkt;
    -----------------
    LINESTRING(131.59149149528952 101.89887534906197,101.21320343559644 138.78679656440357)

## See Also

ST_ClosestPoint, ST_Distance, ST_LongestLine, ST_MaxDistance

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