How to join data tables for visualization

[Ken Lord]

Hi Holger,

If you are very careful, you can simply add the new fields to the dbf
file of the shapefile, saving the need to perform the join everytime
you view that layer.

If you do not have the GIS software to add the fields and
corresponding data in a safe way, and if the shapefile isn't too huge
in the number of records, you can add the fields using a spreadsheet
program such as Excel.

Just be absolutely sure you do not re-order the records or add any
records or they will loose their assocciation with the corresponding
shapes and indices of the shapefile.

Also only do this if the data in the shapefile is fairly simple as it
is easy to loose the data types and field widths using this method.

But it works in a pinch.

Cheers,
Ken Lord
Vancouver BC



On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 06:52:48 -0600, Holger Floerke <floerke at doctronic.de> wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> how can I join additional data fields to my shape-file?
>
> There is a shapefile only with "id" and "name" for the shapes. I have
> additional data (like population) as a dbf file, I would like to dynamically
> join to the shape values and use theese joined values for dividing the
> shapes into different classes.
>
> There is a JOIN object mentioned within the mapfile reference, but it's for
> query objects only.
>
> Any idea?
>
> HolgeR
>