[postgis-users] Initial SRS and geometry columms table creation

[Ivan Kautter]

Listserv subscribers,

I am just starting out with PostgreSQL and PostGIS.  It appears that it is 
necessary to create the SRS and geometry_columns tables before importing 
ESRI shapefile data.  Is this correct?  One thing that seems odd though is 
that in order to create the geometry_columns table one would have to know 
what tables are going to be produced by importing GIS data into the database 
and the resulting name of the geometry_column.

I am also wondering if it is necessary to create a spatial table first for 
each shapefile that one is adding to the database or if one may merely use 
the loader to create the feature table then modify it by adding a geometry 
column to it.

Lastly, I have a spatial reference system that is not defined in EPSG.  It 
is a system for the entire state of California in NAD83 defined thusly:

  # California ALBERS projection information
  PROJECTION
    "proj=aea"
    "y_0=-4000000.0"
    "lon_0=-120.0"
    "lat_0=0.0"
    "lat_1=34.0"
    "lat_2=40.5"
    "units=m"
    "ellps=GRS80"
    "datum=NAD83"

How should I go about specifying the SRID, AUTH_NAME, AUTH_SRID for this 
custom SRS?  Is there a standard domain for these fields that people utilize 
in PostGIS or are the values in these fields largely arbitrary?

Thanks for your time and attention.  All assistance greatly appreciated.

Ivan Kautter