Buffer without using Map elements

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05-02-2012 07:25 AM
DivyaKumar1
New Contributor
For a project we have ongoing, I need to find the points that are in a certain distance of a particular coordinate (Circular buffer) and display the result as a list. The points are already geocoded and stored in a sql database. There is no map component involved. The user enters an address and the buffer distance, we geocode the address to find the center coordinates, and using the distance, we need to find the points from the sql dataset that lie inside the circular buffer.

What would be the best way to solve this?

a) I thought of using ESRI's geometry service, but we are not using any map component, and i'm not sure how I would do it otherwise.
b) Should I create a geoprocessing buffer task and host it on the server and go that route?
c) Or simply use a bounding circle sql  query?

Thanks.
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3 Replies
markdenil
Occasional Contributor III
You say you already have the center coordinates stored in the address file,
so generate a point, buffer it, use the buffer to select the nearby points and list them...
Then throw the features away and keep the list.
An Inset Cursor can create a point fc holding a single point lickity-split.
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DivyaKumar1
New Contributor
What should I use to buffer?
A geometry server? As in like find the data in the bounding box and then pass it through the geometry server?
Or is there an easier way to buffer points?
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DivyaKumar1
New Contributor
I need to clarify.

There are no point features. Just a sql dataset with coordinate(lat & long) information. The center coordinate is just lat and long too. I need to query the dataset and return the records that fall within the buffer (circular) distance.

The method I was thinking was,  getting the bounding box result for the circular buffer and querying the dataset to get the points in the bounding box and then i need to somehow figure out how to get a list of points from that bounding box that lie in the circle.
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