Table formatsArcGIS reads table in many formats:

dBase format (shapefile) INFO format (workstation ArcInfo)Geodatabase table (MS Access in

case of personal geodatabaseText file (comma or tab-delimited

meaning field separated by commas)

Tables• Tables contain attribute data• Many formats, one interface

Table Properties

How do you display 2 tables side by side?

Fields• Fields have specific types available• Must be defined before use• Once defined, cannot be changed

Field types in TablesExample:

Name: SueDOB: 5/15/1985Weight: 135 lbHeight: 5.7 feetSS#: 222555999

Text Date Short Long BLOB FloatSue 5/15/1985 135 222555999 5.7

Field characteristics• Length

– The total characters a text field can storeLength = 10Maple St.Maple Stre

Field characteristics

Precision 3: 256Precision 8: 1965.128Precision 10: -1922.5500

Scale 3: 0.001Scale 5: 0.00001

• Precision–The total width of digits a numeric field can store

• Scale–The number of decimal places

Scale & PrecisionWhen defining a number field (float & double), designate a storage width (precision) and the number of decimal places (scale)

SQL Queries

What is this map showing?

How do I select all the Democratic districts?

How do I select all the Democratic districts?

True or False?• A field named AREA in a shapefile will always have

the correct area?– False.

• A field named AREA in a Geodatabase will always have the correct area?– False.