[Qgis-user] Selecting features in attribute table using query builder

[Zane Selvans]

>> I'm trying to select a subset of the features in a layer based on some
>> values in their attribute table, and I keep getting the following
>> error:
>>
>> syntax error, unexpected COLUMN_REF
>>
>> The where clause I'm using is:
>>
>> 2_LIN_ID < 1_LIN_ID
>>
> Just a shot in the dark: Can column names begin with a digit? You might need
> to change to LIN_ID_1 and LIN_ID_2

I had this thought too, but I didn't name the columns.  They were
automatically generated when I used the "line intersections" tool to
create the points shapefile from my digitized linear features.

I *can* do a select based on another column though (with a non-numeric
first character), so maybe this is the problem, and a bug in the Line
Intersections tool?

I don't seem to be able to re-name the columns in the attribute table
unfortunately (I can see them and their types listed in the
"properties" dialog, but can't change them, even when the layer is
being edited).  I tried adding an "alias" for each of them (LIN_ID_1
and LIN_ID_2) but they don't seem to stick: when I open up the
attribute table again, the aliases don't show up, and when I open up
the attributes under properties again, the aliases aren't there any
more (despite having saved the layer immediately after adding them).

So... does anyone have a workaround here?  Can I somehow re-name these
columns, or create new columns a copy their content in?  Or force the
"Line Intersections" tool to use particular names for its output
columns?

Thanks,
Zane

-- 
Zane A. Selvans
Amateur Earthling
http://zaneselvans.org
+1 303 815 6866