[GRASS-user] multiple polygons with same cat

[Dave Roberts]

Friends,

   I'm not exactly a newbie, but still yet quite naive in GRASS.  This 
seems like a simple problem, but I suspect unforeseen problems with the 
simple solution.

   I have imported a surficial geology map from a shapefile.  There are 
1082 polygons.  Each of the polygons with the same surficial geology 
(e.g Agn, Archean gneiss) has the same cat (i.e. there are 29 polygons 
with cat=3).  I would like to add several columns to this table (e.g. 
geologic era and primary lithology (e.g. granite vs limestone)).

    I normally associate all vector maps with a table in PostgreSQL 
using cat as the primary key (i.e. v.db.connect -o key=cat), but that 
clearly won't work here.  I could rename the column 'cat' in the DBF 
file, and add a new column with values 1-1082 as cat.  If I save that as 
a new DBF file in a new shapefile directory, when I re-import with 
v.in.ogr will it necessarily get it right?  I.e, will GRASS associate 
the vertices the first polygon in the shapefile with the first row in 
the DBF file?  I only ask because PostgreSQl (like most DBMSs) does not 
guarantee the records to be in any specific order, and perhaps 
shapefiles don't either?

     Is there a simple way to renumber the polygons 1 through 1082 that 
maintains integrity and allows me to connect the vector coverage to 
PostgreSQL instead of DBF?

Thanks, Dave
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