topic Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables in Data Management Questions

Accessing data in Oracle tables

HarryBoswell — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:59:38 GMT

Can someone point me to books or tutorials that would cover the various ways of incorporating data in Oracle tables into ArcGIS applications? I know that you can do things like create feature classes from Oracle tables, but I would really like to know and be able to utilize all the ways this could be done. I'm an Oracle DBA with some training in ArcGIS, so I have some knowledge of the Arc world, but I need more concrete examples than what I've seen in classes.

Thanks,
Harry

Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables

DerekLaw — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:40:57 GMT

Hi Harry,

2 other ways to work with data from an Oracle database in ArcGIS are:

Query" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00s50000000n000000.htm]Query Layers

Database" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/What_is_a_view/002n00000027000000/]Database views

Hope this helps,

Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables

HarryBoswell — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:59:29 GMT

I know you could also register the tables, but I'm a little confused - there's registering the table with SDE, and registering the table with the geodatabase. I'm not sure I understand the difference.

Harry

Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables

VinceAngelo — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:53:37 GMT

It is a bit confusing. ArcSDE is both a product that lives in an SQL database and the API/protocol to
access that data. ArcSDE registers tables in the TABLE_REGISTRY so that it can maintain metadata
about their status with respect to ArcSDE. The geodatabase is the ArcObjects code accessing database
tables via the ArcSDE API. It, too, has a registry, implemented in many (or a few, if you're running
ArcSDE 10.0 or higher) GDB_* tables (which in turn are registered with ArcSDE).

When you register a table with ArcSDE, it's still not available to participate in geodatabase behavior
(feature datasets, relationships,...). ArcSDE-registered tables *are* avaiable for use as simple
feature classes in the geodatabase. If you register a new table with the geodatabase, it will force
ArcSDE registration if that has not been yet accomplished. No ArcSDE command can register a table
with the geodatabase (ArcSDE is not geodatabase-aware).

- V

Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables

DerekLaw — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:50:29 GMT

Hi Harry,

Just to add onto what Vince posted, please review this ArcUser technical article:

Enterprise Geodatabase 101

Hope this helps,

Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables

HarryBoswell — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:25:32 GMT

Hi Harry,

Just to add onto what Vince posted, please review this ArcUser technical article:

Enterprise Geodatabase 101

Hope this helps,

Thanks, Derek, that looks great!

Harry

Re: Accessing data in Oracle tables

HarryBoswell — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:29:05 GMT

Am I wrong in thinking that query layers are going to be the preferred way of including external database data in GIS apps? They just seem like such a better way of incorporating database data. Are there situations where they wouldn't be appropriate?

Thanks,
Harry