[GRASS-user] new user question about mapsets, locations, and coordinate systems

[Hamish]

> > For the DATABASE parameter, is GRASS smart enough to
> > add on the LOCATION  directory.

Nikos:
> Yes, by default grass uses the dbf under
> "$GISDBASE/$LOCATION_NAME/$MAPSET/dbf/" [1]. I
> always change it (to use sqlite) and don't really "remember" if the
> creation of a new mapset will create a new "bdf" directory in it.
> But it should :-)
>  
> Anyhow, you need to use db.connect in order to define which DBMS you
> want to use and where you want to store the database.

with respect to MAPSETs and LOCATIONs, the "DATABASE" is nothing to do
with DBMS to hold vector attributes, it is the master directory which
holds all your grass data. It's the "$GISDBASE" in the above path to the
dbf directory.

this "database" verbiage long predates any DBMS functionality in grass.
in grass the use of that term probably predates the IBM XT for that matter.


Hamish