[postgis-users] Point data type

[Paul Ramsey]

Depends on what your goal is, mais oui.
Actual postgis types can be spatially indexed, can be operated on by 
the handy spatial analysis and testing functions, reprojection, etc. 
Fields are just fields. If you are only planning on reading the values 
out, never querying them for spatial info or testing their spatial 
properties, then the spatial objects have no particular advantage.

Paul

On Saturday, April 3, 2004, at 06:31 AM, Joel Gwynn wrote:

> I'm sort of feeling my way in the dark here.  I have some GIS 
> experience (Arcview, AutoCAD Map), and some database experience 
> (MySQL, SQL-Server), but these tools (PostGIS, Mapserver) are new to 
> me.
>
> I have data with lat/long fields, and I've brought in a shapefile 
> (from TIGER data).  I haven't done anything with it yet, but I have 
> some questions.
>
> 1.   I've noticed that postgres has point and line data types.  Is 
> there any advantage to creating a point field and using that instead 
> of individual lat/long fields?
> 2.   Ditto for lines.


    Paul Ramsey
      Refractions Research
      Email: pramsey at refractions.net
      Phone: (250) 885-0632