Database interface for GRASS

[Eric Buddington]

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I've been pondering the multitude of data formats and coordinate systems
available, and the difficulty of transformation from one to the other. In
writing programs that convert to GRASS format, I've begun to see that a
lot of data is lost in the translation. I suspect that this is generally
inevitable when one converts between formats. Additionally, GRASS doesn't
do very good compression, which is important for low-end (low disk space)
systems, like mine.

How about giving GRASS the ability to access a standard database that
could incorporate various kinds of information, and would be extensible as
needed? I'd guess that modern database programs are probably well-suited
for this sort of thing, as far as dealing with varied data types and
sometimes sparse data. If the interface were also standard (perhaps SQL?),
it would be portable and able to take advantage of future improvements in
database software. Also, we (as GRASS users) wouldn't have to maintain the
database code; we'd just need routines to dump existing data into the
database.

As a disclaimer, I don't know much about databases. After talking recently
to a friend who knows a litle, it seemes reasonable. Can someone with more
background comment?

-Eric