Good idea to branch this into a separate thread. The primary idea behind adopting a "personal geodatabase" - as I see it - is to relieve the "ordinary" non-technical users from having to deal with individual files and any files/tables hierachy. Everything gets stored in a single "project" database, maybe even with inter-table relationsships. In a single file that can be copied, moved and shared without problem.
I agree that using a "real" database, i.e. a "service oriented" rather than a file based database, is the technical better choice. However, non-techy users cannot install nor maintain such an installation, so it'll end up being a hazzle rather than a relief. They need something simpler and file based, just like an Access database. But the desktop database choice needs to include a relatively easy path for the possibility of up-scaling to a real database, an "enterprise geodatabase". As Access has with SQL server. If someone can build a "personal" file based version of PostgreSQL or MySQL, I'll supports it vigorously. Otherwise I'll keep rooting for Access. Best regards / Med venlig hilsen Lars V. Nielsen -------------------------------------------------------- Hvenegaard & Meklenborg Rugaardsvej 55, DK-5000 Odense C Denmark http://www.hvm.dk ----- Original Message ----- From: "SCISOFT" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'MapInfo List'" <mapinfo-l@lists.directionsmag.com> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 10:26 AM Subject: MI-L GeoDatabases Since the topic “Differences between MapInfo and ArcView” became a lot broader than MI and ArcGIS - it has ranged into database storage, and appropriate models for spatial databases - I've started a new thread, reflecting that topic - "GeoDatabases". My view is that spatial data storage, and data interchange - are the big issues. The proprietary feature-sets, the UI peculiarities, programmability, and even the modelling of the GIS entities ("arcs", lines, polywotsits, etc) might be entrenched - though there has been some flexibility in recent years. But the growth of data and its management are things that require some tools, and some thought and planning, even for the smaller "desktop" users. (ESRI) geodatabases are – in my view – an excellent idea, that should be copies – but what ESRI has done is to provide some of the requisite spatial data modelling for particular communities of interest (like geology, for example) which provide the right lead, the sensible example to follow for those of us that need a bit of revision on the why-fors of databases, let alone spatial database design and implementation. Ian Thomas GeoSciSoft - Perth, Australia -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.8 - Release Date: 14/02/2005 --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 15326
