00001 /*! \mainpage Introduction
00002 <div class="mainpage">
00003 <!-- This is the index.html page that the user first sees. -->
00004 
00005 <p>The Feature Data Objects (FDO) API provides access to data in a 
00006 data store. A provider is a specific implementation of the FDO API 
00007 that provides access to data in a particular data store. The FDO 
00008 Provider for SHP provides FDO with access to a SHP-based data store.
00009 </p>
00010 
00011 <p>The standalone ESRI SHP file format supports GIS data using a number of 
00012 separate files: SHP (shape geometry), SHX (shape index), PRJ (projection 
00013 information), CPG (code page files), IDX (spatial index), and DBF (shape 
00014 attributes in dBASE format). You must have either a SHP or DBF file present to 
00015 connect to data or work with schemas. Otherwise, these files are optional. Files 
00016 with empty records are created, if they do not exist initially.
00017 </p>
00018 
00019 <p>In AutoCAD Map 3D 2008, the Schema Editor treats each SHP file, and its 
00020 associated DBF file, as a feature class with a single geometry property and, 
00021 optionally, data attribute properties. The SHP file format supports a single 
00022 writer at any time, with multiple readers.
00023 </p>
00024 
00025 <p>SHP files can include only one geometry type per file, but you can stored and 
00026 copy to multiple SHP files in a folder. You can use a configuration file to 
00027 support multiple schemas when you establish your connection to a folder 
00028 containing SHP files.
00029 </p>
00030 
00031 <p>A SHP schema can support the following:
00032 </p>
00033 <ul>
00034   <li>A single geometry type per file
00035   <li>Spatial contexts (determined by coordinate system information in the PRJ file)
00036   <li>Auto ID generation
00037   <li>Null value constraints
00038   <li>These geometry types: point, line string, polygon, multi-point, multi-line 
00039   string, multi-polygon, linear ring, and line string segment.
00040 </ul>
00041  
00042 <p>
00043 For more information, see <i>The Essential FDO</i> (FET_TheEssentialFDO.pdf) 
00044 and the <i>FDO Developer's Guide</i> (FDG_FDODevGuide.pdf).
00045 </p>
00046 
00047 <br>
00048 </div>
00049 */
00050 /// \defgroup typedefs