Import Spatial Data -- Fields and controls

You can use this window to do one of the following tasks:

• Create a new table in the selected database, create a spatial layer on a spatial data column in that table, and import spatial data from a file into that table.

• Import spatial data from a file into an existing table that already has a spatial layer defined on it. In this case, all columns in the table must match the specification of the source file for the import process.

File name

File format

Commit scope

Layer schema

Layer table

Layer column

Spatial reference name

Exception file

OK

Cancel

File name

Use this box to specify the path and name of the file that contains the spatial data to be imported. The file must be accessible from the server.

Use one of these methods:

• Click on the push button to open a window in which you can browse for the file that you want.

• Type the path and name of the file that you want.

File format

Use this box to specify the format of the file that is specified in the File name field. The format can be:

Shape

This is the default. Shape files are an industry standard format for exchanging geometry and attributes. This format is freely distributed and is supported by all major GIS and CAD suppliers.

ESRI_SDE

ESRI_SDE transfer files are a DBMS-independent exchange format used to move data between ESRI SDE databases. If you specify this format, the Spatial reference name field defaults to the name of the spatial reference system associated with the ESRI_SDE format.

Commit scope

The Commit scope box contains the number of records to import before a commit is done on those records. For example, if this box contains the number 100, a commit is done for every 100 records that are imported.

The default is 1000 records. To change this number, use one of these methods:

• Select the up or down arrows to spin through the available choices.
• Type in a value.

Layer schema

Use this box to specify the name of the schema for the table that is the target for this import process. The default value is the current schema.

If you want to change the schema name from the default, use one of these methods:

• Click on the push button to open a window in which you can browse for schema that you want.

• Type the name into the box. The schema must already exist in the database.

Layer table

Use this box to specify the name of the table that is the target for this import process. You can specify a table that exists in the schema that is specified in the Layer schema field or specify a new name for a table that does not already exist. If you specify the name of a table that does not already exist, the table will be created as part of the import process.

If you specify a table that already exists, it must already have a spatial layer defined on it and all columns in the table must match the specification in the import file.

Use one of these methods:

• Click on the push button to open a window in which you can browse for table that you want.

• Type the name of a table into the box.

Layer column

Use this box to specify:

• If you are creating a new table as part of this import process, a name that will be the name of the column of spatial data type that will be created. In this case, the combination of the layer schema, layer table, and layer column will be registered as a spatial layer and the data will be imported into it.

• If you are importing into an existing table, the name of an existing column of spatial data type in the table. The combination of the layer schema, layer table, and this column must already be registered as a spatial layer. In this case, the data will be appended into the spatial layer.

Use one of these methods to specify the layer column:

• Select an existing column from the list.
• Type a name for a new column into the box.

Spatial reference name

Use this box to specify the spatial reference system that is to be associated with the spatial data column specified in the Layer column field.

Use one of these methods:

• Select an existing spatial reference system from the list.
• Type the name of an existing spatial reference system into the box.

This field is available only if Shape is specified for the file format. If ESRI_SDE is specified for the file format, then this field displays the name of the spatial reference system associated with the ESRI_SDE transfer file and you cannot change this value.

Exception file

Optional: Use this box to specify the path and name of a file of shape format. This file is used to collect any shapes from the import data file that are not processed during the import. Shapes from the import data file might not be processed because there is some error in their definition in the data file. After the import process, you can fix the shapes in the exception file and use it as the source file to import the corrected shapes.

Use one of these methods:

• Click on the push button to open a window in which you can browse for an existing file that you want to use. If you specify an existing file, the file will be overwritten.

• Type the path and name of a file.

This field is available only if Shape is specified for the file format.