Invalid argument - importing dbf from shp-file

[Johanna Öhman]

Hi!
I'm trying to import the attribute table of a shp-file - that is a dbf-file
(from ArcGIS 9.0). It's worked many times before, but now it suddenly
doesn't. I'm trying to figure out what's different about this shp or dbf.

Often I get the message Access can't find the file and to check if the name
is correct, even though the icon is there to click on. Then it usually helps
to rename all the 7 files of the shp-file is built up of. But now I'm just
getting "Invalid argument".

What are the criterias a dbf must fulfill in order to be importable? Is
there any other program I can import to first, with a high limit on number of
rows (I have 260000 rows so excel doesn't work)?

Thanks!

 

[Joe Fallon]

Usually that error has to do withthe file name.
Use the old DOS 8.3 file name convention.
Also be sure the column names in the file are 10 characters or less.
Both file name and all column names should be pure alphanumeric - no strange
characters in etiher.

 

[Johanna Öhman]

Thanks! It turned out that that, in combination with a too large database,
was the problem. The database had grown to 2GB due to me trying but failing
to import too large dbf-files too many times... So once I tried with shorter
file names, it still didn't work, but worked after having "compacted and
repaired" the database.

Thanks!
/Johanna



--
Johanna Öhman
Umeå University
Sweden


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