How to generate a coverage of lines and add line feature attributes to the coverage

In this example we make a line coverage of three lines each with four nodes wherein the first and last (fifth) coordinates are the same, so that the line closes to form a box. For each line a identifying attribute "ID" will be assigned.
  1. Construct an ASCII file of line coordinates (call it "boxes.gen") using the following structure: 
            1
        192.86,  -73.66
        195.24,  -76.31
        193.2,   -76.42
        191.2,   -73.75
        192.86,  -73.66
        end
        2
        191.973, -74.8059
        192.013, -74.7563
        192.191, -74.7653
        192.151, -74.8149
        191.973, -74.8059
        end
        3
        186.564, -76.1547
        186.612, -76.1052
        186.806, -76.115
        186.759, -76.1645
        186.564, -76.1547
        end
        end
  2. Construct the attribute file (call it "boxes.inf"), with one record for each associated feature, using the following structure: 
            1,AB.1.071.03
        2,M1-0918-03342
        3,M1-0943-03796
  3. Generate the line coverage (call it "boxes") using "boxes.gen" 
            Arc: generate boxes
        Generate: input boxes.gen
        Generate: lines
        Generate: q
        Arc:
  4. "Build" the boxes coverage 
            Arc: build boxes line
  5. Go into TABLES and construct the INFO attribute file "boxes.code" and add the attributes "boxes-id" (using the required feature attribute construct of 4,5 b) and "id" (in this case 16,16,C) 
            Arc: tables
        Enter Command: define BOXES.CODE
              1
        Item Name: boxes-id
        Item Width: 4
        Item Output Width: 5
        Item Type: b
              5
        Item Name: id
        Item Width: 16
        Item Output Width: 16
        Item Type: c
             21
        Item Name:    [HIT RETURN HERE] 
        Enter Command:
  6. While still in TABLES, select the new attribute file "boxes.code" and add the attributes from "boxes.inf" 
            Enter Command: sel boxes.code
        Enter Command: add from boxes.inf  
               [ON THE PREVIOUS LINE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO ENTER THE FULL PATH NAME]
        Enter Command: q
        Arc:
  7. Join the attributes from the "boxes.code" file to the "boxes.aat" file 
            Arc: joinitem boxes.aat boxes.code boxes.aat boxes-id # linear
  8. Processing is done. At this point you can list the resulting line coverage with the joined attributes to see the results. 
            Arc: list boxes.aat
                      1
        FNODE#                     =     0
        TNODE#                     =     0
        LPOLY#                     =     0
        RPOLY#                     =     0
        LENGTH                     =       10.603
        BOXES#                     =     1
        BOXES-ID                   =     1
        ID                         = AB.1.071.03
                      2
        FNODE#                     =     0
        TNODE#                     =     0
        LPOLY#                     =     0
        RPOLY#                     =     0
        LENGTH                     =        0.484
        BOXES#                     =     2
        BOXES-ID                   =     2
        ID                         = M1-0918-03342
                      3
        FNODE#                     =     0
        TNODE#                     =     0
        LPOLY#                     =     0
        RPOLY#                     =     0
        LENGTH                     =        0.527
        BOXES#                     =     3
        BOXES-ID                   =     3
        ID                         = M1-0943-03796

        Arc:

You now have a line coverage with attributes. The attribute file ("boxes.inf") can, of course, contain more than one attribute. Simply offset each new column of attributes with a comma and be sure to define the additional attribute(s) in step 5, where ArcInfo requests the next Item Name.


11/08/99