EXPORT <option> <input> <interchange_file> {FULL | PARTIAL | NONE}

       {max_lines}

 

converts a coverage, file or other supported data set to an interchange

file for transfer to another platform running ARC/INFO.

 

arguments

 

<option> - specifies the data type to be exported.  The following are

valid options.

 

COVER - a coverage, associated INFO files and any index files.

 

FONT - an IGL font file.

 

GRID - an integer or floating-point grid.

 

INFO - an INFO file.

 

LATTICE - a lattice surface in the pre-6.0 lattice file format.

 

LINESET - a lineset file.

 

MAP - a pre-6.0 format map composition created with the ARCPLOT map composer.

 

MARKERSET - a markerset file.

 

PLOT - a 1039 plotfile.

 

SHADESET - a shadeset file.

 

TEXT - any ASCII text file with up to 300 characters per record.

 

TEXTSET - a textset file.

 

TIN - a tin.

 

<input> - the name of the input coverage, file, or data set to be

exported.  If COVER option is used for the first argument, <input> is a

coverage name; if the INFO option is used, <input> is an INFO data file

name; for the TEXT option, <input> is a text file name; and so on.

 

 

<interchange_file> - the prefix name of the ARC/INFO interchange file(s)

to be created by EXPORT.  A volume ID of .E00 will be appended to the

file name of the first interchange file, .E01 to the second file, and so

on.  Each subsequent file is created when the {max_lines} for each file

is reached.

 

{FULL| PARTIAL | NONE} - specifies how numbers and blanks will be

compressed in the export file.  This is particularly important when

transferring files to and from IBM systems or PC systems.  There are

three options.

 

FULL - compresses both blanks and numbers using ASCII compression

characters.  This is the default option and requires the least amount of

storage space (on tape or disk).  However, some ASCII compression

characters do not have equivalent EBCDIC characters on IBM computers.

If transferring to IBM, one of the other two options must be used.

 

PARTIAL - compresses blanks but does not compress numbers.  This is

useful for some types of transfers to IBM where blank compression does

not cause a problem.

 

NONE - no compression is performed.  This option can also produce an

export file which can be listed on your terminal or line printer.

 

{max_lines} - maximum number of lines for each volume (i.e., disk file)

of an EXPORT file.  A volume has the extension .E00 through .E99.  This

is useful for EXPORT files that are too large for one 9-track magnetic

tape reel.  Only one export file is created if {max_lines} is not

specified.

 

notes

 

For the COVER option, all associated INFO data files are written to the

interchange file.  For example, if the coverage name specified for

<input> is FOREST, an INFO data file named FOREST.LABEL is saved in the

<interchange_file> output by EXPORT.  A file named FOREST1.LABEL,

however, would not be saved in the <interchange_file>.

 

Graphic files (1040) and map compostions generated in Rev 6.0 do not need

to be exported because they are machine-independent.

 

Any INFO pathname/user name can be used to specify the <input> file to

be exported when the INFO option is used.

 

Pathnames can be used for all options except FONT.  Due to an IGL

limitation, you must be located in that directory before exporting a

font file.

 

The {max_lines} argument is used to set a maximum size for a transport

file to be written to tape.  A {max_lines} value of 400,000 lines per

file should fit on a 2,400-foot, 9-track tape written at 1600 bpi with a

block size of 8,000 and logical record size of 80.

 

The export of text files with the NONE option is limited to 80

characters per line.  The remainder of the line will be lost.

 

On VAX systems, export files are variable length.  To fix the record

length to 80, run the FIXED80 command.  For more information, see the

FIXED80 command reference.

 

Use CARTWRITE or TAPEWRITE to create tapes containing EXPORT files for

transfer to another computer.

 

Export files created with FULL compression can be significantly smaller

than export files created with the PARTIAL or NONE options.

 

 

different versions of ARC/INFO

 

As new data types are supported, new options are added to the

IMPORT and EXPORT commands to facilitate transfer to other platforms

running ARC/INFO.  Conflicts may arise when trying to transfer data from

one version of ARC/INFO onto a platform running an earlier version of

ARC/INFO.  There is no problem transferring to a later version.  All

export interchange files are upwardly compatible.

 

Problems may occur when importing onto platforms running earlier

versions of ARC/INFO.  The export file may contain a data set that is

not available in  earlier versions or the format of an existing data set

may no longer be compatible with earlier versions.  Also there are cases

where the export file will import correctly but the output cannot be

used the same way.

 

Coverage index files and anything in double precision cannot be imported

to pre-5.0 versions of ARC/INFO.

 

Node attribute tables, routes, sections and annotation subclasses will

import into versions prior to Rev 6.0 as associated INFO data files for

the output coverage but will not function the same way they do at Rev

6.0.

 

Graphic files and map compositions generated in Rev 6.0 using the (1040)

format are not supported by earlier versions.

 

The LATTICE option converts a pre-Rev 6.0 lattice file.  Use the

LATTICE60 command to convert the imported pre-6.0 lattice file to a

lattice that can be used with the Rev 6.0 TIN software package.

 

At Rev 6.0, lattices are stored using the GRID data model.  The GRID

option is used to transfer a surface grid lattice.  A surface grid

lattice cannot be imported onto platforms running earlier versions of

ARC/INFO.

 

You cannot export a 6.0 tin to another platform running an earlier

version.  Beginning with TIN 6.0, the x,y coordinates for the tin  nodes

are stored in double precision.  The Rev 6.0 tin data model supports

break lines and nonconvex hulls.  These enhancements are not supported

in earlier releases.

 

The format of all symbol set files changed at Rev 6.0 and will not be

compatible with earlier versions of ARC/INFO.

 

ADD files can be imported but must be rebuilt using ADDRESSBUILD.

 

 

discussion

 

EXPORT creates an ARC/INFO interchange file to transfer coverages, INFO

data files, text files such as AML macros, and other ARC/INFO files

between various machine types (e.g., from a Prime computer to a DEC VAX

computer).  An interchange file contains all coverage information and

appropriate INFO file information in a fixed-length, ASCII format.  It

can be fully or partially compressed and uncompressed ASCII depending

upon the EXPORT option used.

 

There are many ways to use EXPORT.  One way is to transport a coverage

and its associated INFO files.  This is done using the keyword COVER for

the first argument.  Another way to use EXPORT is to transfer an INFO

data file.  In this case, any INFO pathname/user name can be used to

specify the INFO data file to be exported.  This option is invoked by

using the keyword INFO for the first argument.  EXPORT may be used with

the TEXT option to transfer key files, AML macros and other text files.

 

Once EXPORT is used, the interchange file can be transferred by tape to

another machine where IMPORT can be used to recreate the coverage, INFO

data file(s), text files, and so on.

 

The ARC IMPORT and EXPORT commands can also be used to back up

individual coverages to tape for archiving (as opposed to backing up

entire user workspaces).  For example, individual coverages

corresponding to map library layers within a single tile (i.e., map

sections) can be archived to tape and restored to disk as needed.

 

Four additional ARC commands, CARTREAD, CARTWRITE, TAPEREAD and

TAPEWRITE, provide you with the necessary tools to create and read

cartridges and magnetic tapes for transferring export files between

different machine types.

