Plot reads Microsoft Access
databases. What follows is a basic description of how to
convert your database to a Plot/Newplot compatible database.
It assumes that you have some knowledge of how to work with Access.
1) Only two tables are required: XYZ and Context. Plot/Newplot will automatically add the other required tables.
2) XYZ must include the following fields:
Unit, Text, Length=6
ID, Text, Length=5
Suffix, Numeric, Integer (default value must be 0)
X, Numeric, Single precision
Y, Numeric, Single precision
Z, Numeric, Single precision
RecordCounter, Number, Integer or Long Integer
3) Context must include the following fields:
Unit, Text, Length=6
ID, Text, Length=5
4) Context should also include:
Level, Text, Lenth=10 (minumum - can be larger)
This related table database structure allows multiple XYZ points to be
associated with a single artifact record in the Context table.
Typically information about the date the object was excavated, the kind
of the objects, the level it was in, and who excavated it would be
included in the Context table. To link more than one XYZ measurement to
an object, place multiple entries in the XYZ table with the same Unit
and ID but increment Suffix (0=first point, 1=second point, etc.).
If you have all of your data in a single table, take the following
steps to quickly convert it.
1) Make a copy of the table from within Access and call it XYZ.
2) Make a second copy of the table from within Access and call it
Context.
3) Alter the field names and lengths in the Context and XYZ tables as
described above and as appropriate. You do not need to delete X, Y, and
Z fields from Context, though if you retain them it might start to get
confusing.
If you have other tables within your database with related information
on each artifact, Newplot can use them as long as they also contain
Unit and ID formatted in exactly the same way.
If these instructions do not work, please let us know.
