[GRASS-user] About .mdb geo-data base file format... please some information about alternative file formats!

[Nikos Alexandris]

On Fri, 2008-02-29 at 11:54 -0500, Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> Dylan Beaudette wrote:
> > Thanks for posting this transaction Nikos. I look forward to further
> > communications from the EEA.
> > 
> > As Hamish mentioned a couple messages up in this thread, it would be a
> > good idea (if it hasn't already been done) to formalize these type of
> > communications with government agencies to lobby for open formats.
> 
> Folks,
> 
> One option might be to involve the OSGeo geodata committee, with the
> intention of possible having OSGeo submit an official request/suggestion
> to such agencies.
> 
> I do think the agencies reasoning is not *too* off.  They provide shapefiles
> which are widely accessable but also .mdb files due to the lossiness of
> shapefiles.  A good solution would be to provide the data in GML format
> which can avoid the lossiness of shapefiles and they seem to be moving
> in that direction.  We just need to provide gentle encouragement.  The
> telling point is that the .mdb files are essentially inaccessable outside
> an ArcGIS environment.
> 
> Best regards,

I am learning ;-) ...and I like it!

Thank you all,

Nikos


P.S. I suppose no "rough summary" of all this issues exists. Or does
it?