COMPAREFAT

 

compares the Feature Attribute Tables (FATs) from multiple coverages and reports differences in an output file.  These differences can then be eliminated using MATCHFAT.

____________________________________________________________________________

 

COMPAREFAT <out_file> <feature_class...feature_class | template_cover | ALL> {-LIST <cover_list>}

 

ARGUMENTS

 

<out_file> - the name for the output report file.

 

<feature_class...feature_class> - the set of FATs to be compared.

 

The possibilities are POLYGON, POINT, ARC, LINE, NODE, ANNOTATION.subclass, SECTION.subclass, ROUTE.subclass, and REGION.subclass.  Abbreviations are accepted.

 

<template_cover> - the FATs in the specified coverage define the set of FATs to be compared.

 

<ALL> - all FATs which exist in any of the input coverages will be compared.

 

{-LIST <cover_list>} - specifies that a file named <cover_list> contains a list of the coverages whose FATs are to be compared.

 

In the <cover_list> the coverages should be listed one per record.  To terminate the list a blank record or a record containing 'END' may be used, but this is not necessary.

 

If no file is provided, the user is prompted for the coverage names.

 

 

DIALOG

 

If {-LIST <cover_list>} is not supplied, then COMPAREFAT holds a dialog with the user to prompt for the input coverages to be compared.  The dialog is similar to that used by ARC MAPJOIN, except that with COMPAREFAT you can use wildcards.  In other words, if you wish to compare all coverages in the current workspace whose names begin with 'VEG', than enter 'VEG*' at the 'Enter coverage' prompt.

 

 

NOTES

 

- COMPAREFAT runs from any module of ARC/INFO, ver. 8.0.1.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

PURPOSE - The purpose of COMPAREFAT is to compare the feature classes of different coverages.  This can come in handy because some commands, such as ARC MAPJOIN, require that the feature classes being joined exist in all input coverages and have similar FATs.  The output report created by COMPAREFAT can be run through MATCHFAT to actually eliminate the differences.

 

OUTPUT REPORT - COMPAREFAT reports 4 types of differences: missing feature classes, missing items, differently defined items, and out-of-order items.

 

MISSING FEATURE CLASSES - For each FAT missing from a coverage, a line is written to the output report.  For example:

 

Coverage: VEG01, Feature_Class: ARC, Problem: MISSING

 

MISSING ITEMS - For each item missing from an FAT, a line is written to the report.  For example:

 

Coverage: VEG01, Feature_Class: ARC, Item: CFF-CODE1, Problem: MISSING, Definition: '3,3,C,0'

 

Only non-mandatory items are considered.  For example, for the POLYGON feature class, the AREA, PERIMETER, <cover>#, and <cover>-ID items are not considered.

 

DIFFERENTLY DEFINED ITEMS - For each item that exists but has a different definition, a line is written to the report.  For example:

 

Coverage: VEG01, Feature_Class: POLYGON, Item: WSHED, Problem: DEFINITION, Definition: '10,10,C,0'

 

Items are compared by first recording all the items (not including the mandatory items) belonging to each FAT that occur in any of the input coverages.  A definition is recorded for each item, e.g. '10,10,C,0' in the above example.  The definition is taken from the first coverage input that contains that item.  Therefore, if you have standard coverage to which you wish to compare other coverages, then enter the standard coverage name first.

 

OUT-OF-ORDER ITEMS - For each FAT whose items are out-of-order, a line is written to the report.  For example:

 

Coverage: VEG01, Feature_Class: POLYGON, Problem: ITEM_ORDER, Order: 'WSHED DATA'

 

The "correct" item order is determined by the order in which the items are first encountered in the input coverages.