Shapefile to Tiger file

Question

Are there any tools or extensions that can convert/export a shapefile to a Tiger file? We have a heath application that uses tiger files from the U.S. Census, but the Census now only provides data in shapefile format.

Robert LeClair · Answer

First, you would have to have ArcInfo Workstation installed on your PC. Then you would need to start the Arc program at Start -> ArcInfo Workstation -> Arc. This will start the "old" command line environment that I "cut" my teeth on back in 1992. From the help doc: converts a set of ARC/INFO coverages into a set of U.S. Bureau of Census TIGER/Line files. ARCTIGER {in_point_cover} {in_landmark_cover} Arguments - the file name prefix for files to be written. File names will include the prefix concatenated with the record type identifier. The file prefix may include a directory pathname. - the name of the input line coverage containing all the basic line features and attribute data. {in_point_cover} - the coverage containing the point features representing polygon label points for . The same input coverage may be specified for both and {in_point_cover} arguments. {in_landmark_cover} - the coverage containing the landmark point features. Notes ARCTIGER is intended to be used in conjunction with the TIGERARC command and expects the input coverages to have coordinates expressed in degrees and decimal fractions of a degree of latitude and longitude. Each INFO data file must have the same items and item definitions generated by the TIGERARC command. The and .ACODE are the minimum input and files type 1 and 2 are the minimum output generated by the ARCTIGER command. Up to 10 output files will be created depending on the input coverages and the associated data files used in the conversion. A File type 3 is not created by ARCTIGER. Attributes from INFO data file .TYPE3 will not be used in the conversion. Good luck! Robert

NAOMIPAUL · Answer

There is a command in ArcInfo Workstation called arctiger that will convert an ArcInfo coverage to a TIGER file.  It requires an ArcInfo license to work though.  If you have the license, then you could export the shapefile to a coverage, then use Arc Command Line to run the arctiger command.

Hope this helps!

Robert LeClair
Esri-Denver

Do you have an example of the ArcTiger command?
I have the shapefile converted to a coverage, unsure of how to take from coverage to tiger file. A bit rusty, it's been over a decade since I've used command line.

NAOMIPAUL · Answer

Thank-you, we will give that a try.