Import Using Basic Personal and Basic File Geodatabase Reader

Overview

Esri Personal and File geodatabase feature classes can be imported using Lines and Areas Import and Points and Text Import. The file selection is done in two steps: 1) choose the geodatabase (mdb or gdb); 2) select feature classes directly or through an SQL query. Optionally, define a spatial filter to limit the geographic extents of the data being imported.

Both Basic File Geodatabase Reader and Basic Personal Geodatabase Reader have several limitations:

• Feature datasets are not supported
• Relationships (intersect/contains) in spatial filters are not supported
• Domain or subtypes are not supported
• Feature classes that are in coordinate systems with unrecognized EPSG codes are not supported

The Basic File Geodatabase Reader has further limitations:

• Only ArcGIS 10 and higher file geodatabases are supported
• Arcs are not supported - arcs will be imported as straight lines based on its vertices
• SQL queries on Unicode tables or attribute names is not supported
• Bezier curves are not supported - curves will be imported as straight lines based on its vertices.

Import Using Basic Personal or Basic File Geodatabase Reader

In the Lines and Areas Import or Points and Text Import dialog box, go to the Format drop-down and choose Basic Personal Geodatabase Reader or Basic File Geodatabase Reader. Click the Browse button and select a geodatabase file with the extension mdb (Personal geodatabase) or gdb (File geodatabase)—only one geodatabase can be accessed at a time. Click the hyperlink to open the Select Feature Classes dialog box to choose specific feature classes for import.

 Forward slash "/" in paths are not supported in Windows, but are supported on Mac.

Select Feature Classes

In the Select Feature Classes dialog box, directly import one or more tables or build SQL queries to select attributes of tables. To directly select tables, click the names of the table to import—selected tables are highlighted. To deselect a table, click the selected name again.

 Text layers in a geodatabase are seen as areas in the Select Tables dialog box, but are imported as text.

Specify Spatial Filter

A spatial filter consists of a rectangle that defines the extents of imported data. Use extents of an existing MAP Layer from the drop-down list or enter new coordinates values manually. When setting points manually, enter two opposite corner coordinates that represent the actual extent of the data. When MAP Locations exist on the document, it is possible to use them to specify corner coordinates. If required, click the Input Coordinate System link to use an alternate coordinate system for the inputs.

Create SQL Select Query

An SQL statement can be built to limit the number of objects and attributes imported from a single feature class. The SELECT clause should always contain one and one only "Shape" object (actual spatial feature). When possible, use the operator button to add formatted query statements (including spaces), to limit the typing errors. Recently used SQL queries are saved and accessed by clicking the Recent button. The number of recent queries saved is set in the Geographic Imager Preferences on Spatial Database > General Spatial Database Editor. It is recommended to use the Validate button to verify the query syntax prior to import.

 SQL Query for Basic Personal Geodatabase (mdb) Reader is only available on Windows.

Example SQL select queries:

 Unlike the Esri geodatabase readers, the Basic geodatabase readers do not support multiple SQL statements separated by a semi-colon (;).