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RE: [udig-users] Exporting a shapefile to PostGIS
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Ok,
So since I don't like to be the one who complains without bringing solutions, I'll do my homework and hope this can help you guys. I desinstalled uDig 1.1-RC14 and started again what I wanted to do, taking notes by the way.
First, I downloaded uDig because I wanted a graphical frontend to PostGIS. Since uDig origins from the same group (Refractions), I expected to get the best integration with PostGIS I could find. Other people might use it for other purposes but I guess a lot of PostGIS users must have the same expectations.
So here are some chronological observations:
1) Remove the splashscreen - uDig open on a sort of splashscreen preventing to see the real stuff. I did not expect to have to close this screen/window to see the "Project" pane and begin to work. Please open a "Tips of the day" window instead. It is more usual. uDig is not a web page. I expect it to behavior like other (Windows) softwares.
2) Let it be french or english but not both - My computer's Regional setting are set to "Francais (Canada)". This is probably why uDig menus are all mixed with french and english. Please provide us with a french AND an english version, not a bilingual one. Otherwise, do not force us to a default language or at least give us an option to change it in the preferences. Personnally I prefer to install open source softwares in english so I'm sure I can find interface concept in the best documentation available (usually the english one).
My next task is to open a shapefile since I want to export it to PostGIS...
3) Name an apple an apple - I click on the "Couche" menu (Layer) and then on "Ajouter" (Add). To my surprise there is no option for "shapefile". I take a minute to realize that it actually belongs to the "Files" category. Is the word "shapefile" taboo at Refractions?
4) Give me an "Export to PostGIS" - I expect being able to right-click on the opened layer and select some "Export to PostGIS" menu. Nothing... PLEASE!
5) Save the new layers properly - Jody advised me to copy and paste all the features from the shapefile to a new PostGIS layer. I have to create the new layer with the same structure as the shapefile. Painful. I expect to be able to create a new PostGIS layer by right-clicking in the "Layers" pane and select some "New layer" menu. Nothing. I go in the "Layers" main menu and select the "Add" menu. It doesn't ask me where so I want to create the new layer. I'm suspicious. Where will it be created? No idea... I want to make sure it will be saved somewhere if I close the application. So I do... No window asking to save the project. Nothing to save the layer...
6) Make the opening of the last project optional - I start again uDig. The last project opened is automatically opened. I don't like this. At least give me an option so I can enable this feature or disable it. The project open but the new layer has disappeared... Maybe this is because I did not put any rows in it. Lets try again.
7) Debug copy and paste - I highlight a feature in the shapefile "Table" view, copy it, select the new layer and paste. Nothing is pasted. Is there a special way to copy and paste betweem layers?
Some other observations:
8) Remove duplicate menu - I realized later that I had to right-click on the PostGIS catalogue connection and select "Operation->Create Feature Type" to create a true PostGIS layer. What is the difference between "Create Feature Type" and "Add feature type"? There seems to be no difference...
9) Add a connect to catalog - I realized also that the only way I could connect to PostGIS to create a new layer was to do as if I was to add one from PostGIS. This way PostGIS gets listed inthe catalog view. It would be more intuitive to have a "right-click->Connect to catalog" contextual menu in the catalog view.
10) Make the distinction between the Project pane and the Layer pane more obvious - What is the need for the Layer pane? I do not understand what it is used for. Aren't the layer in the Project panes sufficient? When we get a layer in the project, we get a copy of it in the layer pane. It's confusing. Is there any difference between what I can do on both?
11) Documentation - Too few is worse than nothing... Why not making it a wiki. We could help. For now it's
This was my first experience with uDig. 3 hours. Imagine a week... I guess udig wasn't really made for what I wanted to do. I hope.
I would love uDig to be as much a killer application as PostGIS is. I love Refractions, I love Paul, I event have a PostGIS t-shirt ;-)
Anybody out there was expecting the samething? Since this experience I use QGIS...
Thanks,
Pierre
>-----Message d'origine-----
>De : Paul Ramsey [mailto:pramsey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>Envoyé : 18 mars 2008 12:46
>À : Pierre Racine
>Cc : Jody Garnett; udig-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Objet : Re: [udig-users] Exporting a shapefile to PostGIS
>
>Pierre,
>
>"User friendly" is the goal, but once we get familiar with using the
>application, it becomes hard to recognize the points of friction... as
>a new user, if you could over your first week or so write down every
>moment where you go "I want to do X, but it is not clear how..." that
>could be used in the future to try and streamline things.
>
>Developers can't see the forest for the trees, it's in the nature of
>understanding how things work far too well -- imagine a car built by
>auto mechanics... you'd control the carborator with a little unlabeled
>wire... :)
>
>P.
>
>On 3/18/08, Pierre Racine <Pierre.Racine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> At step 4 how do you ensure that the layer you are creating
>will be a PostGIS layer?
>>
>> Pierre
>>
>> PS: I'm sorry to say that but uDig is far from being
>user-friendly...
>>
>> >-----Message d'origine-----
>> >De : udig-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >[mailto:udig-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] De la part
>> >de Jody Garnett
>> >Envoyé : 3 mars 2008 19:44
>> >À : Pierre Racine
>> >Cc : udig-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >Objet : Re: [udig-users] Exporting a shapefile to PostGIS
>>
>> >
>> >Thinking ... we have not hooked it up as an "Export" yet; but it is
>> >possible.
>> >
>> >Can you try the following sequence for me and let me know
>how it goes:
>> >1. Open up a map showing the shapefile
>> >2. Select all the features in the shapefile (if the Edit >
>Select All
>> >action does not work use the selection tool)
>> >3. Select the PostGIS server that you want to export
>> >4. Layer > Create ....
>> >5. The create type dialog should have the same schema as
>the features
>> >being copied (if not you are going to have to do it by hand)
>> >6. Add you new type to the map
>> >7. Paste the features
>> >8. Commit
>> >
>> >If this works we will add it to the online help under "tasks".
>> >
>> >Cheers,
>> >Jody
>> >
>> >Pierre Racine wrote:
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> I would have expected uDig to be able to load a shapefile
>> >and export it
>> >> to PostGIS. Is it possible?
>> >>
>> >> Pierre
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> udig-users mailing list
>> >> udig-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> http://lists.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/udig-users
>> >>
>> >
>> >_______________________________________________
>> >udig-users mailing list
>> >udig-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >http://lists.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/udig-users
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> udig-users mailing list
>> udig-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> http://lists.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/udig-users
>>
>
