The File Geodatabase API Is Available

So I guess there really is news at the Esri FedUC (was beginning to wonder if it was just more of the same from the last year). Esri has finally released their File Geodatabase API. Without having looked into it yet Esri says you can do the following:

  • Create, Open and Delete file geodatabases
  • Read the schema of the geodatabase
    • All content within a geodatabase can be opened for read access
  • Create schema for objects within the simple feature model
    • Tables
    • Point, Line, and Polygon feature classes
    • Feature datasets
    • Domains
    • Subtypes
  • Read the contents of datasets in a geodatabase
    • All dataset content within a geodatabase can be read
  • Insert, Delete and Edit the contents of simple datasets:
    • Tables
    • Point, Line, Polygon, Multipoint, and Multipatch feature classes
  • Perform attribute and (limited) spatial queries on datasets
    • Spatial queries will be limited to the envelope-intersects operator

A couple points here. First off there is no raster support. Second you are totally on your own here. You have total control over screwing up your geodatabases here. Some may want to continue using ArcObjects as it gives you some framework to work within. Lastly this is a C++ API, while I don’t see the need for .NET or Java “versions” feel free to continue complaining about Esri ignoring you below.

I still can’t believe they finally released this thing.

Google Category Tool Updated

We have updated the Google Places Category Tool with a “dump” of current categories and synonyms.

From the last time we updated the data a year ago, Google deleted 170 categories and 1922 synonyms, leaving exactly 1900 primary categories in the list. Most of the deleted categories were plural duplicates of existing categories. I.E. “Surgeons” was deleted as a stand alone category and added as a synonym to the category “Surgeon”. For the compulsive amongst you here is the list of deleted categories and synonyms.

In that timeframe Google has also added only three new categories; Airport , Car Sharing Location and Electric Vehicle Charging Station. They also added 11 new synonyms; airport, international airport, international, flights, arrivals, intl, int, aeropuerto, air port, flughafen.

To search the current Google categories go to our Google Places Category Tool. To see all categories as an HTML page go here. For those of you outside of the U.S. we hope to have the other language categories added shortly.