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Is there a proper way to order a field column for lat and long ?

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08-30-2017 12:09 PM
DEAF_PROBERT_68
Honored Contributor

Is there a proper way to order column for latitude and longitude ? I have seen some people put their columns vice versa So, I am wondering if there is a proper way for this. So, would add for new column for latitude first and then longitude second ..but I am not sure...

Here is the example :

Another example here:

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11 Replies
Asrujit_SenGupta
MVP Alum

I don't think think there is any specific order as such...generally we mention Lat ahead of Long...

however check this thread for a more formal response:

google maps - Preferred order of writing latitude & longitude tuples - Stack Overflow 

JayantaPoddar
MVP Alum

As long as you are keeping the values in the columns correctly, the order shouldn't matter.

We usually write the coordinates as XY. So X (Longitude) could be placed before Y (Latitude) in an attribute table.

But there is no mandate that says Longitude should be placed before Latitude values.



Think Location
DEAF_PROBERT_68
Honored Contributor

In order from XY   to LONG LAT  to UTM  should be like this  UTM Easting and UTM Northing ? Am I correct ?

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Asrujit_SenGupta
MVP Alum

Yes!

The terms easting and northing are geographic Cartesian coordinates for a point. Easting refers to the eastward-measured distance (or the x-coordinate), while northing refers to the northward-measured distance (or the y-coordinate).

Source: Easting and northing - Wikipedia 

DEAF_PROBERT_68
Honored Contributor

Thanks. Had to make sure it is correct... Phew... and thanks for the link too.

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DEAF_PROBERT_68
Honored Contributor

It can go pretty confusing so that is why I got to be careful.

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IanFrakes1
Emerging Contributor

I've found that if I use field names XCOORD (Longitude) & YCOORD (Latitude) they are often automatically recognised by the software and pop up conveniently in selection boxes. It used to work that way in MapInfo.

DEAF_PROBERT_68
Honored Contributor

Yes I saw that after I post this question and in a few hours later I looked it around and I saw that tool that does that .. It would be nice if they just label Longitude and Latitude instead of XCOORD and YCOORD...

Thanks for the info.

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IanFrakes1
Emerging Contributor

I consider 'Latitude and Longitude' as jargon, it confuses non-GIS colleagues and clients, virtually everyone knows which way up 'X and Y' are.

Because I don't use that terminology I forget which is which myself (I'm a Forester that does GIS, not the other way around) it wasn't until I read Dava Sobel's excellent book Longitude, that I can consistently remember Longitude is 'X'