[postgis-users] ESRI GDB format into PostGIS

[Simon Greener]

Mike,

> I had to check the current version. Manifold, like OGR, only supports ESRI Personal Geodatabase (*.mdb) format. Not ESRI File Geodatabase format. See: http://www.manifold.net/info/formats.shtml

Personal and Enterprise (SDE) GeoDatabases and NOT File GeoDatabases the situation with 8.0.x. (It may change in the up and coming 9.0 beta.)

regards
Simon
> -Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Frank Warmerdam" <warmerdam at pobox.com>
> To: "PostGIS Users Discussion" <postgis-users at postgis.refractions.net>
> Sent: Thursday, 28 May, 2009 10:23:02 GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
> Subject: Re: [postgis-users] ESRI GDB format into PostGIS
>
> Simon Greener wrote:
>> Paul et al,
>>
>>> Bended knee. You've been supplied with a "file base geodatabase" and the
>>> only things that will open it are ESRI products or things licensing ESRI
>>> products.
>>
>> Or products that have been provided with enough instance examples to be able
>> to reverse engineer. Manifold GIS is one such product. I don't have any GDB
>> examples to check its ability to suck the data out.
>
> Simon,
>
> Are you suggesting that Manifold GIS has reverse engineered the file
> geodatabase format?  Can you provide any pointers supporting that?
> If those guys can reverse engineer it, then so could we given enough
> desire.
>
>>> http://blog.cleverelephant.ca/2009/04/esri-formats-back-to-future.html
>>
>> Something I totally agree with. There was a brief discussion on "The
>> Shapfile 2.0 Manifesto"
>> (http://moreati.org.uk/blog/2009/03/01/shapefile-20-manifesto/) about what
>> should replace the shapefile. The ESRI file based GeoDatatabase was
>> discussion with Scott Morehouse himself telling everyone about a non
>> ArcObjects based API that would open up interoperability etc (the usual
>> smoke and mirrors). No talk about the format specs being donated to the
>> public domain; nothing about how the API would be licensed. You will never
>> see an FDO Provider from ESRI I would guess.  More of the same "do it our
>> way or the highway"....
>
> I too am disappointed that ESRI declared they would provide open access
> to file geodatabases, and then let the actually follow through drag on
> for years after they came into initial use.  However, I do believe they
> are contemplating a reasonably open API - possibly source included.  They
> have also been considering support for an FDO and/or OGR provider.  I'm
> a bit vague on the current plan but they are aware of these possibilities
> and are interested in doing them.   So don't be so sure about what will
> never happen.
>
> Best regards,



-- 
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