________________________________________________________ This file contains information on Database Access 2.1c for ArcView GIS.

This release allows you to use Database Access to connect to ArcSDE 8.1.2 Servers. This release also supports ArcGIS 8.1.2 Direct Connect to Oracle8i and SQL Servers. See below for more information. Contents 1.0 Setting Up Your Machine 2.0 Using Direct Connect 3.0 Database Access Support Matrix for SDE 4.0 Database Access Documentation 5.0 Sample Extensions and Scripts for SDE and ODBC 6.0 Known Issues for Database Access 2.1c 7.0 Questions and feedback 8.0 Sources for additional information ________________________________________________________ 1.0 Setting Up Your Machine

If you are new to using SDE/ODBC data in ArcView, you can find out how to set up your computer by referring to the ArcView Help for the Database Access extension. Double-click the Extensions book in the contents page, then the Database Access book. The 'Using the Spatial Database Engine (SDE or ArcSDE)" and "Using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)" books contain topics for setting up your computer. 2.0 Using Direct Connect

Database Access applications function the same way, regardless of whether a user connects to an ArcSDE service or to a database instance using Direct Connect. There is a slight difference in the the connection information between Oracle8i and SQL Server. The key is the syntax for the connection information, which occurs in the second panel of the SQL Query Wizard. (See details below.) Oracle8i Servers: For a Direct Connect to an Oracle 8i instance, an Oracle Client must first be installed on your machine. This includes the installation of Oracle's Net8 software, which allows you to configure the Net Service Name needed to connect to the server. A direct connection to Oracle requires the password string contain this Net8 Service Name. (Details for Net Service install are in the ArcSDE Configuration and Tuning Guide for Oracle, located in the ...\AV_GIS\AvDocs directory after you complete your ArcView install.) Given a username of "username" and a password "password", to connect to an Oracle Server named "luke", for which a Net8 Service name called "luk817" has been defined, the ArcView SQL Query Wizard entries would be as follows: SDEServer:Instance - "luke:sde:oracle" Username: - "username" Password: - "password@luk817"

The Avenue connection request syntax for the same server would be: SDEConnection("luke:sde:oracle","","username","password@luk817") SQL Servers: SQL servers are automatically supported by Microsoft and do not need an additional client installed to connect. Given a username of "username" and a password "password", to connect to an SQL Server named "rift", the ArcView SQL Query Wizard entries would be as follows: SDEServer:Instance - ":sde:sqlserver:rift" (**NOTE the leading ":" ) Username: - "username" Password: - "password" The Avenue connection request syntax for the same server would be: SDEConnection(":sde:sqlserver:rift","","username","password") For more information on Direct Connect, please refer to the ArcSDE Configuration and Tuning Guides for Oracle8i or SQL server in the ...\AV_GIS\AvDocs directory after you complete your ArcView install. 3.0 ***Database Access Support Matrix For SDE

Database Access 2.1c allows you to use SDE and ArcSDE data in ArcView. Because ArcView, Database Access, and ArcSDE are developed on different schedules, it is important to maintain a record of which ArcView release Database Access works with, and which SDE servers are supported. The matrix below illustrates which versions of these products you can currently use together. =============================================================================== == ArcSDE Database Access Client ArcView Library SDE 3.0 SDE 3.0.1 Servers SDE 3.0.2 Servers ArcSDE8 Servers

Version Version Version Servers

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2.1c 3.2a 8.1 Oracle Oracle Oracle All ArcSDE 8.x servers (up

SQL Server DB2 Extender (windows only) _______ _______ Sybase DB2 Universal

Database (pre-rel) to and SDE for Coverages DB2 Server including version

3.3

8.1.2

SQL Server Informix Dynamic Sybase

8.1.2)

=============================================================================== == [***NOTE - for best viewing, please set your Microsoft notepad --> Format ->Font -> Fixedsys - Regular - 10. ]

4.0

Database Access Documentation

Whether you are new to the Database Access extension, or have used previous versions of the extension, please review the following ArcView Help topics which can be accessed from the ArcView Help Menu. These topics outline the new functionality and how this extension has changed.

Click on the Contents tab, double-click the Extensions book, then doubleclick again on Database Access to find the following topics: "What's new in Database Access?" "What is a database table?" "Changes to Classes and Requests", can be found by typing 'Database Access' in the ArcView Help Index. The Database Access Manual (dbaccess.pdf) is in a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. After the Database Access Extension has been installed, the documentation file, dbaccess.pdf will be located in the ...av_gis30\avdocs directory. Note: There is a Database Access Extension Object Model Diagram in the ArcView Help, which can be used as a reference to access further help on the various Database Access classes. From the Help tab, go to Help Topics, Index and enter "functional overview". Enter the "Display" button to bring up the "Functional Overview of ArcView Classes" topic. From this list, go down to the list to the "Views, Themes and Graphics" topic, and select the "Database Themes" link to display "The Database Access extension" object model.

5.0

Sample Extensions and Scripts for SDE and ODBC

This extension includes several sample extensions and scripts for SDE and ODBC. For more information on these samples, double-click the Extensions book in the Help Contents page, then the Database Access book and refer to the Sample scripts and extensions book. Additional Scripts, referenced by the Avenue request help, can be located by typing "database access" in the ArcView Help Index. Select Avenue examples under the Database Access extension heading, then click Display. Additional scripts may be found at our web site - http://gis.esri.com/arcscripts/scripts.cfm.

Scripts that have "SDEODBC" in the title will work with either ODBC, SDE or ArcSDE data. If the script or extension deals with spatial features, then it is SDE specific. 6.0 Known Issues for Database Access 2.1c

The ArcView GIS Help includes Known Issues for Database Access. To review these issues, double-click the Extensions book in the contents page, then the Database Access book. The "Known issues with Database Access" help topic is located under the Troubleshooting book. The following are additional known issues not found in the help system. 1. Field name aliases for a database theme do not show in the database theme's table. 2. When using ArcSDE and counting the number of features in a selection log from a one to many joined database theme, you may not get the expected results. For example, if you select a polygon that has 10 records joined to it using the count request on the selection log, it will report that only one record is selected. The status bar, however, will indicate that 10 records have been selected. 3. When creating a database table with External Oracle Spatial Geometry Type data, you will get the following error if the query includes the spatial column: "DBMS Object types cannot be fetched from the API". This is because you cannot display the data from an external Oracle table's spatial column in a database table. Workaround: Exclude the spatial column from the query. 4. When creating an SDETable using Avenue with ArcSDE Spatial Geometry type data, you will get the following error if you try to truncate the spatial column of the layer: "Underlying DBMS error". 5. When exporting an ArcSDE layer with Oracle spatial geometry to a shapefile, if the SE_ANNO_CAD_DATA field is not set invisible, you will get the following error: "unknown field type for SE_ANNO_CA encountered in dBASE". Shapefiles do not support BLOB fields. Workaround: Set this field invisible using theme properties in ArcView. You can then export without an error. (FYI - all oracle spatial layers created using ArcCatalog contain this additional BLOB field.) 6. ArcSDE appends an integer column named "ObjectID" when creating data using Avenue on DB2 or Informix servers. This also occurs when creating Oracle Spatial Type layers with Avenue on Oracle ArcSDE servers. When inserting new rows or modifying existing rows using Avenue, you need to set the "ObjectID" field to a unique integer value. Otherwise, errors appear during the update. 7. When executing a query against a table instead of its theme, the query

may return incorrect results. This problem only occurs if the ArcSDE layer is versioned. Workaround: Query against the theme to always return the correct answer. 8. Themes sometimes draw features with the wrong symbology. Once this happens there is no way to get the classification back without recreating and reapplying the legend. This is a known problem with Database Access and occurs on all servers. 7.0 Questions and feedback

ArcView's online help provides FAQ and troubleshooting topics for Database Access. To access these topics, double-click the book 'Extensions' and then double-click 'Database Access' in the contents page of the Help window. ArcView Help also provides detailed information on how to contact ESRI Technical Support with any of your questions or comments. You can access this information by looking at the section 'Obtaining technical support' from ArcView's online help under the 'Need More help?' booklet which can be found on the Contents page. All questions and comments should be forwarded to ESRI Technical Support. - Phone 909-793-3774 - Fax 909-792-0960 - E-mail (support@esri.com)

If you are outside the U.S., please contact your International distributor. 8.0 Sources for Additional Information

In your use of ArcView Database Access, you may find the need for additional information about using the software. Answers to the most frequently asked questions and up-to-date tips can be found in one or more of the resources described below. Subscribe to ESRI's World Wide Web Discussion Forum List ARCVIEW-L ARCVIEW-L provides a medium for users to exchange technical information and expert advice relating to ArcView and Avenue. To subscribe, send a message to arcview-l-request@esri.com with a subject line of 'subscribe'. This forum is not an official technical support channel. Visit the ESRI Home Page on the Internet ESRI maintains a wide array of news and information on the World Wide Web. To access this information use the following address: www.esri.com. Our Web site also offers a discussion forum where you can exchange information on ArcView and Avenue with other users via threaded messages (messages about the same topic). The forum may be accessed at http://support.esri.com/forums/default.asp. ________________________________________________________