Re: Python vs. PL/SQL for Oracle work

Thanks Hans for the great info on Oracle Spatial. It's something I've been meaning to learn more about.

HansF wrote:
>Oracle SPatial is
>- a vendor neutral storage mechanism (update data using ESRI, pull the
>same data using MapViewer, MapInfo, whatever) which might save money by
>being able to mix clients. In fact, with the free open source GIS
>clients happening these days I can imagine some interesting apps ...

You mean like the open source uDig client being developed by http://www.refractions.net?
Can you recommend any others?

>- a way of putting queries based on spatial information into effect
>without needing an intermediate step. The example I use is
>"give the the phone numbers of the rural emergency contacts within a 200
>mile buffer of the train derailment and resulting environmental spill. I
>don't care about the pitcure - I need to start making phone calls."

Pretty nice.

>With a typical GIS engine, this is either not possible or needs a second
>step (list the communities, go to a second system and extract the phone
>numbers) whereas Oracle Spatial allows it in one SQL statement and it can
>involve multiple databases via db links & heterogeneous services.

Quite elegant. However, I believe the same can be done with geoprocessing scripting using Python without ever generating a map. Python can call a buffer then access the attributes without anything visual occuring. It's not as elegant as using one SQL statement, and there may be an additional step or two, but I'd say the same thing could be accomplished. May I post your statement to an ESRI geoprocessing support forum?

>So I see ArcSDE a vendor lock-in thing <LOL>

There is no escaping vendor lock-in unless Oracle is free (which is evidently true to some extent with Oracle Express edition.). :-) ESRI is more-or-less the de facto standard for GIS these days. Their market share dwarfs all others. Doesn't make it "right", and that could of course change in the future.

It's interesting that you bring up open source, because I have been investigating an open source spatial database extension to PostgreSQL called PostGIS, also being developed by http://www.refractions.net. I wonder if it can do what you mentioned in your emergency contacts example. For what it's worth, I attended a presentation from a refractions.net fellow, and he gave higher marks to Oracle Spatial vs. ArcSDE, for Oracle Spatial being more of a "real" spatial database.

>I admit that my knowledge of ESRI is no longer 'current' and freely
>accept and invite updates.

Let me know if I have your permission to quote you on the ESRI support forums and I can report back here with any good replies.

Dana Received on Thu Mar 02 2006 - 08:57:44 CST