[GRASS-user] Editing dbf, problem

[Kurt Springs]

The dbf file started life as an ascii file written in Textwrangler.    
I converted via v.in.ascii.  The code I used was reminiscent of what I  
use to use to create a site using s.in.ascii.  I couldn't find out if  
the codes changed for v.in.ascii.

I have tried using various databases for my archaeological sites,  
without success.  I tried following the book but I must be missing  
something.  I have SQLite Browser, it seems easy to use, but I have  
trouble connecting it.  (I haven't touched it in a while.)  How do you  
set up the columns for easting and northing (UTM).  What about other  
kinds of data (in this case the Catalog number).  Then how do you make  
it display as a point vector (in this case).  The GRASS book is a  
little vague, when I need a step by step approach.

Thanks for your help.

Kurt
On Jun 10, 2009, at 11:36 AM, Dylan Beaudette wrote:

> On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 8:23 AM, Kurt Springs<ferret_bard at mac.com>  
> wrote:
>> I was trying to edit one of my point vector dbf files in the file
>> PERMANENT/dbf.  I used the spreadsheet in Openoffice to adjust  
>> a .dbf file.
>>  The STR_1 column originally read #1 %64 @"Cat. 64".  I needed the  
>> Cat. 64
>> for a label on my map so I edited the column to read just Cat. 64.   
>> Now when
>> I resize the size of the Map Display Window, everything freezes.   
>> If I leave
>> the map display window alone I can work with the project a little,  
>> but GRASS
>> (or WISH) unexpectedly quits, usually sooner rather than later.  I  
>> tried to
>> at the #1 %64 with the quotation marks back, but this didn't help.   
>> Can
>> anyone tell what the problem is and how to fix it?  Since I am  
>> using Qgis to
>> do the actual displaying (and it doesn't seem to have the problem)  
>> I'll be
>> fine, unless I have to adjust something in GRASS.  Then I will need  
>> a back
>> up plan.
>>
>> Thanks for any insight that people may have.
>>
>> Kurt
>
> Hi Kurt,
>
> I (and others on the list) have encountered a variable degree of
> success when working with DBF files opened/saved by an external
> program. In some cases it works, in others the datatype (or something)
> of a column will change and all hell breaks loose. I have seen this in
> both GRASS and ESRI programs -- it just seems like the DBF file format
> is very fragile. If possible, try converting your database back-end to
> SQLite-- there are many good GUI-based tools for working on SQLite
> files, and the SQLite engine has full support for SQL. It can be a
> pain to switch between database back-ends, but I wish that I had done
> it sooner.
>
> Good luck,
> Dylan
>
>
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