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My two cents... I agree with what was said and would add that I like using the .MDB version of an Access database because it is the same format as an ESRI Personal Geodatabase. It also allows me to use the tools (specifically the query statements) to clean up my data first if need be. I find a lot of mistakes occur as a result of special characters and some types of formats. I usually create an empty personal geodatabase (.mdb) in ArcGIS and then open it with MS Access and import all my data into it. Using Access allows me to save any of the update queries I write and use them over and over again when needed. And as a personal geodatabase, you can then easily export/convert it to a shapefile or a file geodatabase. Good luck, Shawn Herrick – Sr. GIS Analyst, GISP University of New Hampshire | Facilities-Campus Planning 22 Colovos Rd | Durham, NH 03824 (603)862-3931 | www.unh.edu/facilities Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 16:24:54 +0000 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Best practices for tabular data? To: [log in to unmask] I’ve not used File Maker for GIS, but for other applications. As Bob notes, .dbf is the best, and I often do the following: Create statistics in Excel, which is good for doing heavy lift calculations – though ESRI has expanded its capacities significantly in this regard. Then I often import all the columns of calculated statistics that I need into Access. The reason is that as a database-native format, it seems to work better than Excel to ArcGIS. I suspect the Microsoft .xls format has a lot of background data that isn’t always easy to read in directly to ArcGIS as a .dbf without an intermediary. Finally, because ESRI uses .dbf natively, I export to .dbf from access. I know this is not so easy, but I find it’s a solid way to keep what you originally intended intact and with the data as you want it. It’s also a good way to review the data prior to importing it to ArcGIS so that you can see any data that isn’t a match has a form of staging table from which to review it. From a personal perspective, it helps me review my work. Best Rich From: Northeast Arc Users Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bistrais, Bob Sent: Friday, August 15, 2014 11:10 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Best practices for tabular data? Just speaking from my own experience, I've had the best luck by importing .dbf files into Arc. Always had issues with Excel, I believe that was an "undocumented feature" in ArcGIS. CSV files can be quirky, too, and I prefer to avoid them. Why? Because your data may have values with commas (such as "City, State"), which will cause problems with a csv. My best advice would be to work with the people creating the tabular data and establish standards for your data values and formats. Otherwise your data will contain a dozen ways of saying the same value. Sorry, I've never used FileMaker. BB From: Northeast Arc Users Group [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Jennifer M. Kalasardo [[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, August 15, 2014 10:47 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Best practices for tabular data? Good Morning All, I’m interested in preferences of ArcGIS users with regards to Excel and Access when organizing raw data to eventually be uploaded. Has anyone used FileMaker with GIS successfully? Preferences for exporting to either program are welcome too. Thanks, Jennifer M. Kalasardo GIS/CAD Operator Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company One Corporate Drive, Suite 600 Shelton, CT 06484-6211 203-925-7224 (W) 203-925-7213 (F) 860-967-9795 (C) [log in to unmask] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list (NEARC-L) is an unmoderated discussion list for all NEARC Users. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from this list, you can remove yourself by going to http://listserv.uconn.edu/nearc-l.html. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list (NEARC-L) is an unmoderated discussion list for all NEARC Users. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from this list, you can remove yourself by going to http://listserv.uconn.edu/nearc-l.html. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list (NEARC-L) is an unmoderated discussion list for all NEARC Users. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from this list, you can remove yourself by going to http://listserv.uconn.edu/nearc-l.html. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list (NEARC-L) is an unmoderated discussion list for all NEARC Users. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from this list, you can remove yourself by going to http://listserv.uconn.edu/nearc-l.html.