Principles of Preparing an Attribute Table and Data Manipulation in GIS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are integral tools for handling spatial data. They allow
users to analyze, visualize, and manage geographic and attribute data. The preparation of an
attribute table and the manipulation of data within a GIS environment form the foundation
for effective spatial analysis and decision-making processes. This article explores the
principles behind preparing an attribute table and manipulating data in GIS.

A. Introducing Attribute Tables

An attribute table is a fundamental component of a GIS dataset, which stores descriptive
information about geographic features. These features could be points, lines, or polygons,
and each feature has a corresponding record in the attribute table. The table typically
consists of rows (each representing a spatial feature) and columns (representing different
attributes of the feature).
For example, in a GIS that maps forests, an attribute table might contain columns for the
forest area, species composition, elevation, soil type, and health condition of each forest
block. The attributes describe the spatial features (the forest areas) in more detail, making
the data more useful for analysis.

Principles of Preparing an Attribute Table:

1. Organizing Data Clearly: The attribute table should be organized logically, with each
column representing a unique attribute. These attributes should be classified based
on the type of analysis. For instance, numeric values (like elevation or area) should be
placed in one set of columns, while categorical data (such as land use type or forest
species) should be grouped separately.
2. Consistent Data Entry: It is critical that the data entered into an attribute table
remains consistent. Data inconsistencies can result in errors during analysis, such as
mismatched categories or erroneous calculations. Consistent formats for dates,
numeric values, and text (e.g., using uppercase or lowercase consistently for category
names) are essential.
3. Correct Data Types: Each column in the attribute table should be assigned an
appropriate data type. The commonly used data types include:
Integer: Whole numbers for counts or other exact figures.
Floating-point: Numbers with decimals for precise measurements.
String: Text for categorical data or descriptions.
Date: For time-based data like the year of forest regeneration.
 The right choice of data type ensures efficient storage and accurate analysis, such as
the correct handling of decimal precision or categorical distinctions.
4. Metadata and Documentation: Every attribute table should include metadata, which
is information that describes the data, such as its source, date of creation, accuracy,
and any transformations applied to it. Metadata helps users understand the context
of the data and its limitations.
5. Georeferencing: Every feature in the spatial dataset must be georeferenced,
meaning that its spatial location should be linked to the attributes. This ensures that
the attribute data corresponds correctly to its geographic location.

B. Data Manipulation in GIS

Once the attribute table is properly structured, the next step is manipulating the data. Data
manipulation in GIS refers to the processes used to edit, update, calculate, and analyze data
stored in an attribute table. It includes various operations like sorting, querying, joining, and
calculating new values.
Principles of Data Manipulation:
1. Sorting and Filtering Data: Sorting and filtering operations help in organizing the data
and making it easier to analyze. Sorting allows users to arrange records based on
specific attributes, such as sorting a list of forest areas by size or elevation. Filtering
allows for the display of only specific records, such as filtering for all forest blocks
with an area greater than 1,000 hectares.
Sorting can be done in ascending or descending order.
Filtering can involve queries, such as selecting all entries where the forest species is
"pine" or where the soil type is "clay."
2. Querying and Selection: Queries allow users to extract specific data by defining
conditions based on attribute values. In GIS, this can be done using SQL (Structured
Query Language) or simple expression-based tools. For example:
Select all records where "forest density" is greater than 80%.
Identify all areas with "wetland" type in a particular geographic region.
Selection based on attributes is vital for spatial analysis, such as identifying suitable
locations for conservation or land-use planning.
3. Field Calculations: Data manipulation in an attribute table often involves creating new
fields based on existing ones. For example, if an attribute table contains area and
perimeter for different forest blocks, a user might calculate the "area-to-perimeter
 ratio" to assess fragmentation or access patterns. This can be done using simple
mathematical operations, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, or more complex
functions like logarithms or statistical calculations.
4. Joining and Relating Tables: In GIS, different datasets might be stored in separate
tables. For example, a table of forest features may need to be combined with a table
of soil properties. The operation of joining combines data from multiple tables based
on a common attribute (e.g., forest ID or area code). There are two main types of
joins:
Spatial Joins: These join data based on the spatial relationship between features (e.g.,
joining the soil type of the area a forest block falls into).
Attribute Joins: These are used when there is a common field between two tables,
such as matching forest IDs between two different datasets.
Relationships can also be set up, such as "one-to-many" or "many-to-one," to
represent different types of connections between the data.
5. Data Conversion and Transformation: Converting data between formats and
projections is another critical aspect of data manipulation. For example, converting
between different coordinate systems (e.g., from a geographic to a projected
coordinate system) can affect how the data is represented on the map. Similarly,
vector-to-raster or raster-to-vector transformations might be necessary when
preparing data for different kinds of analyses.
6. Data Integrity Checks: Ensuring data integrity is essential in maintaining the quality
of GIS analysis. Techniques such as data validation rules, constraint checks (e.g.,
enforcing that areas cannot be negative), and consistency checks should be
employed to prevent data errors that might skew results.
7. Updating and Editing Data: Updating attribute tables is an ongoing process. For
example, in forest management, the health status of forest blocks may need to be
updated regularly based on field surveys. Editing tools in GIS enable users to correct
data, add new attributes, or remove outdated entries.
8. Geospatial Analysis: Advanced GIS data manipulation often involves spatial
operations like overlay, buffering, proximity analysis, and spatial interpolation. These
methods help to explore relationships between attributes and their geographical
context, such as identifying the correlation between forest type and the distribution
of species.