Attribute data Flashcards
attribute table
contains information about features with 1 row for each feature linked to the spatial data by an FID
records
rows in a table
fields
columns in a table
standalone table
exists independently of a geographic dataset
flat file database
stores rows of information in a text or binary file, simple but inefficient management system
hierarchical database
has multiple files each containing multiple records and fields, related tables connected by a fixed key
relational database
multiple tables stored as files without predefined relationships, the user can temporarily join tables sharing a common field, preferred management system
key
used to join tables via a shared field, this can be undone at any time
join table
the source table, contains the information to be appended
target table
the destination table, receives the appended information, can join multiple join tables to a single target
cardinality
numeric relationships between objects in one table and their match in another, listed as target to join
rule of joining
there must be only one record in the join table for each record in the target table, joins are possible for one to one and many to one
relate
keeps tables separate but allows for analysis similar to a join, used for one to many cardinality
case field
specified field used to create groups to analyze smaller chunks of data
field definition
must be entered before any data can be entered into a field, cannot be changed
field length
defines how many characters can be stored in a text field
ASCII
standard by which byte codes are defined for storing letter, number, and symbol codes
binary
more efficient for storing numbers
float
floating point field stores 8 sig figs of information, used for very large or small numbers
double
field that stores 16 sig figs of information, used for very large or small numbers
domain
rule about the allowable content of a field, coded domains provide a list of values, range domains specify an min or max
schema of a table
fields, data types, properties, domains, and other characteristics of a table
fields view
used to view and modify the properties of a table
calculate fields tool
used to calculate new fields based on existing fields, must make a new field first or it will destroy the existing data
add geometry attributes tool
calculates feature measurements in a new field
short text fields
+-32,000
long text fields
+-2,147,000,000
field summary
creates a new stand alone table with summary statistics for each feature
