I recently tried several different packages to access the census cd-rom. SPSS and
MapInfo both failed to read the dbf files. FoxPro had no problem reading the files.
There are three files that can be linked using the logical record number. I
verified this by checking total population count that is available both on the
geographic file and the first data file. If you are using SPSS, you will need to
export the foxpro file to a dbaseIV file. The current version of spss is incompatible
with FoxPro.
Richard Block
>>> Tom Brockenbrough <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 04/24/01 12:12 PM >>>
Cannot speak to the problems with FileMakerPro since we do not use it but I had the
same problems with respect to importing into Access. Fortunately we were able to use
Excel since we were only looking at one county. Alphabetically, we're first in the
state and our data was early on in the file and before it got truncated. I wonder
what we would have done if that wasn't the case. Someone told me that later versions
of Excel do not do the truncation (I have not verified this) so an updated version of
Excel may do the trick.
Still, Access should have handled it but at least I now have some comfort that I
wasn't the only one having problems. Maybe there is a way of opening the file in a
text editor and deleting the first 64K records, save with a new name and then bringing
the rest of the information into Excel. (It's a variation of a neat trick I have to
give Bill Thoen credit for when I had a .DLG file to import that wouldn't read back in
the days when MapInfo had limits on the number of nodes in a polygon. I edited the
file to delete the two offending polygos -- our coastline - - and everything went
fine). If
it works doing it for a state the size of yours may require repeating this multiple
times. I'll be interested to know if anyone else has found a way around the problem.
After I got what I needed into Excel I then had no problem taking it into Access.
Good luck.
Now if someone could just tell me why the population in one of my blocks (a vacation
trailer park with supposedly no year round residents) comes out to 149 people per
trailer. A bit overcrowded don't you think?
Tom Brockenbrough
Accomack County, Virginia
Department of Building, Planning, & Zoning
Robert Karr wrote:
> Greetings All: Need some help because we're obviously missing something.
>
> We've downloaded the 3 compressed redistricting files for Michigan off the Census
>WEB site. They seem to uncompress OK. I only have Excel and FileMakerPro available on
>my PC . Excel can't handle that many records, and truncates at 64k records. Our
>local FileMakerPro expert tells me FMP just chokes and errors out, seemingly because
>of the number of records.
>
> Our Info Sys Division has MS Access, but using the instructions off the Census WEB
>site, can't seem to open the files in Access, either. I know if there was a problem
>with opening the files in Access there would have been a great outcry. So, there must
>be something we don't quite understand, something very simple and basic.
>
> My database skills are very weak to say the least. I can't figure it out, but it
>looks like we're missing something very simple, very basic.
>
> Can anyone out there provide us with an algorithm, advice, things to check, points
>to ponder, etc??
>
>
> Please keep up the good work. And, even if I don't get my questions answered, thank
>you all for being there.
>
> ....Bob
>
> Robert Karr Phone: 517-373-3028
> Science Research Assistant FAX: 517-373-0171
> Science and Technology Division
> Legislative Service Bureau
> Michigan State Legislatur
> 124
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