Hi, we must clarify some things in this topics: - Mapinfo handles only one geometry columns per table, but authorize mixed geometry types inside of it. To me, there is no doubt we MUST NOT do this.
- Spatial DB's recommend non mixed geometry types, but authorize mixed collections, even if working with them is a lot more difficult and ends up in separating feature type before using spatial operators. User is free to add several nullable geometry columns to a table-class, or choose any physical modelisation he wants. It is easy to make views or queries to show a one geometry table to QGIS or Mapserver (almost all GIS are one - geometry limited). We do that a lot (ie tables of watershed's here have three geometry columns: "elementary watershed", "intermediate watershed", "total watershed"), because it is a good modelisation with only on table to identify objects. The question here is how to handle to tables with more than one geometry columns. By now, we need to avoid showing those geometry as WKT strings > this kills QGIS attribute table. Using additionnal geometries to handle labeling paths is an interesting path. FYI I am about to have a contractant work on a QEP (only a QEP by now) on how to improve labeling with Callouts feature, paths storage for annotations, manually curved labels, and map mask, masking labels too. ie: "how to port easycustomlabeling and mask plugin nicely". We could discuss the technical solutions there. Except for those underground solutions, I don't see how handling multi geometry columns in QGIS GUI will improve user experience, without creating some caveats and traps. Maybe some visual mockups can help here. I agree with Bernhard that we probably have more urgent features for basic GIS uses. Cheers, Régis -- View this message in context: http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Thoughts-about-multi-type-tables-in-QGIS-tp5196607p5200173.html Sent from the Quantum GIS - Developer mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ Qgis-developer mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer
