A comparison of ArcGIS, ArcSDE, and PostgreSQL data types
When you create a table or add a column to a table in the database, columns are created as a specific data type. Data types are classifications that identify possible values for and operations that can be done on the data, as well as the way the data in that column is stored in the database.
When you import data of one type into a column of another data type, you need to understand what the equivalent data types are between ArcSDE and your database management system (DBMS) because it can impact data content. Also, when creating new datasets in ArcGIS, it is helpful to know the equivalent data types between ArcGIS and your DBMS.
When you create a feature class or table in ArcGIS, there are 11 possible data types you can assign to a field. That means there are some data types that can only be created outside ArcGIS.
|
ArcSDE data type |
PostgreSQL data type |
ArcGIS data type |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SE_STRING_TYPE |
VARCHAR |
TEXT |
|
|
SE_INT16_TYPE (SE_SMALLINT_TYPE) |
SMALLINT |
SHORT INTEGER |
|
|
SE_INT32_TYPE (SE_INTEGER_TYPE) |
INTEGER |
LONG INTEGER |
|
|
SE_INT64_TYPE |
BIGINT |
na |
The server configuration parameter INT64TYPES must be TRUE to create columns with this data type. |
|
SE_FLOAT32_TYPE (SE_FLOAT_TYPE) |
REAL |
na |
|
|
SE_FLOAT64_TYPE (SE_DOUBLE_TYPE) |
NUMERIC(n,m) |
na |
|
|
SE_DATE_TYPE |
TIMESTAMP WITHOUT ZONE |
DATE |
|
|
SE_UUID_TYPE |
VARCHAR(38) |
GUID |
|
|
SE_BLOB_TYPE |
BYTEA |
BLOB |
|
|
SE_SHAPE_TYPE |
ST_GEOMETRY or GEOMETRY * |
GEOMETRY |
PostgreSQL data type depends on the configuration keyword used when creating the layer: ST_GEOMETRY or PG_GEOMETRY (PostGIS geometry). |
|
SE_XML_TYPE |
SDE_XML or XML |
na |
XML columns are not exposed in ArcGIS Desktop. |
|
SE_RASTER_TYPE |
BYTEA or ST_RASTER |
RASTER |
PostgreSQL data type depends on the raster storage specified in the DBTUNE table. You must separately configure ST_Raster in the database. See Installing the ST_Raster type in PostgreSQL for instructions. |
|
SE_STRING_TYPE |
INTEGER |
OBJECTID |
|
|
NUMERIC(38,8) |
FLOAT |
||
|
NUMERIC(38,8) |
DOUBLE |
*ST_Geometry and geometry are superclasses. When creating feature classes in ArcGIS Desktop, point feature classes created as ST_Geometry use the ST_Point subtype and point feature classes created as PostGIS geometry use the Point subtype for storage. For all other types of feature classes created in ArcGIS Desktop, the superclass is used. If you create spatial columns using SQL, the actual data subtype created depends on what type of subtype you specify.