Module 3

Chapter 7: How the Classification System Works in a Database

This chapter is designed to describe how the classification system can be incorporated in a database program. Using a database program allows one to search, categorize and analyze information easily. If carefully designed, the database can be an excellent time saving tool.

Most database programs have two essential components called records and fields. (See Table 7.1.) The number of fields is only limited to that which the database programmer creates. The number of records is dependent only on the data that is inputted. Generally, users of this class system will be applying the classifications to specific properties which have been given unique property identification numbers. Therefore, the property identification numbers could be considered the unique number for every record in your database. An additional field would, of course, be the land use classification code. Other fields may include civic address, notes regarding the property, property owner, etc. By inputting this information into a database, the data can then be sorted on the basis of any one field or combination of fields. For example, one could search the data by classification and retrieve all records of Residential properties and then proceed to locate them on a map, thereby having a report showing residential sites and nothing else.

By giving each classification a unique code and grouping codes by their primary, secondary and tertiary level data, additional search and retrieval is made easier. This coding scheme is equally beneficial for GIS programs and is by far a better coding scheme than the numbered codes used in other classification systems.  

Table 7.1 Example Illustrating the Difference Between Records and Fields

Note: Each column represents a type of field, and each row represents a record. In this example there are 8 fields and 3 records.

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