[postgis-users] What's the Purpose of the Geometry_Columns Table?

[Paul Ramsey]

Yes, that is correct, GEOMETRY_COLUMNS is for the outside world.  It  
would be nice if it could transparently auto-update as things happen  
in SQL land, but we have not yet found a way to make that happen,  
despite years of wanting it to.

P

On 5-Sep-06, at 6:36 AM, Emilia Venturato wrote:

> Alle 15:14, martedì 5 settembre 2006, Bill Thoen ha probabilmente  
> scritto:
>> I created a table using a 'SELECT * INTO ...' statement which  
>> contained a
>> geometry column, and then I performed a few more spatial  
>> selections on it
>> without problems. Later I realized that the geometry column in my  
>> new table
>> wasn't referenced in the Geometry_Columns, but it didn't seem to  
>> matter. So
>> what is the purpose of the Geometry_Columns table?
>> _______________________________________________
>> postgis-users mailing list
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>
>
> Geometry_columns is a table (OGC standard) that allows other apps   
> (Mapserver,
> QuantumGIS, ecc.) to use postgis data. All standard OGC  
> applications looks at
> geometry_columns to have a complete overview of geographic data in  
> your
> database.
> If you work only in postgis, you can forget about geometry_columns  
> but you'll
> find problems when you will use your data from other applications  
> (mapserver
> for example doesn't show geographical data if geometry_columns is not
> correct).
>
> At least, that's how I understand it.
> bye
> Lia
>
>
> -- 
> Emilia Venturato
> email+jabber: venturato at faunalia.it
> www.faunalia.it
> Tel: (+39) 347-2770007 Tel+Fax: (+39) 0587-213742
> Piazza Garibaldi 5 - 56025 Pontedera (PI), Italy
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