[postgis-users] shp2pgsql loader

[strk]

On Tue, Apr 13, 2004 at 02:02:51PM +0000, Saurabh Data wrote:
> Dear users
> 
> As it says in the documentation about the shp2pgsql loader :
> 
> a)  shp2pgsql shaperoads roadstable roadsdb > roads.sql
> b)  psql -d roadsdb -f roads.sql
> 
> Can someone clarify what exactly is happening in a) and b)
> 
> I understand that the a) is for conversion and b) is for uploading the file 
> to psql

You correctly understood.

> 
> What I  understand is that the command shp2pgsql in a) converts a shapfile 
> called "shaperoads" into roads.sql  ..but what does roadstable and roadsdb 
> signify ?

The roads.sql file will contain sql code needed to fill a table
with values extracted from the shapefile. 'roadstable' is name
of the table you want to insert/append values to. 'roadsdb' is
an obsoleted argument that was needed for postgis versions prior
to 0.8 to add metadata informations in a postgis-enabled database.
You should omit that argument for postgis installations >= 0.8.

> 
> Am I right in assuming that in b) , it just tries to connect to the psql 
> database name roadsdb and places the file roads.sql there ?

Yes. You are right.

--strk;

> 
> Thanks for any help
> 
> Saurabh Data