topic Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server in ArcGIS Enterprise Questions

How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

YasserNooraldeen — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:05:03 GMT

Hi dear,

I am using SQL server 2008R2, but I am not sure I am using geometry or binary ... would anyone tell how I can find that?

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

JakeSkinner — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 11:53:12 GMT

Hi Yasser,

You can create/import a feature class, then right-click on the feature class > Properties. The geometry type will be listed under the General tab.

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

VinceAngelo — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 15:08:40 GMT

You can also look at the table from Management Studio. If the database reports the geometry column as an integer, then it's using SDEBINARY geometry storage.

- V

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

JasonTipton — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 06:39:04 GMT

Otherwise the DataType for the column will be geometry or geography for SQL Server spatial types.

You can check this from the table designer

select DATA_TYPE
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where COLUMN_name = 'shape'
AND TABLE_NAME = 'YOUR_TABLE'

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

YasserNooraldeen — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 04:47:45 GMT

Thank you all.

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

YasserNooraldeen — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 04:51:55 GMT

Thanks Jake.

Is there any recommendation by ESRI to use one "preferable" than the other one?

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

ModyBuchbinder — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 05:15:15 GMT

Hi Yasser

The default is always the recommendation. In this case it is geometry.

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

ThomasColson — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 13:17:58 GMT

There are significant differences between Geography and Geometry spatial types in SQL, and I'd by no means accept the "default" without determining what storage format best fits your data needs. Without going down the rabbit hole of this is better than that, check out Spatial Data Types Overview for a detailed description of both. It boils down to your choice of coordinate system and desired precision of measurements. Personally, I'm a fan of geography....

Re: How do I know I am using Geometry or SDE Binary in SQL Server

AndresCastillo — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 21:54:31 GMT

I started looking into this question when reading the documentation for editing a versioned view with SQL:

An overview of editing versioned data using SQL—Help | ArcGIS Desktop

The versioned feature classes you want to edit use a binary geometry storage type (when editing a named version)

If editing feature classes, the feature classes use SQL spatial types, not binary geometry storage (when editing the Default version)

How To: Determine which type of geometry storage is being used for a particular dataset