ARC/Info Ten Commandments

(actually 25)

  1. Thou shalt not have more than 500 Info files.

  2. Thou shalt not have more than 300 GRID files.

  3. Thou shalt not use upper case letters anywhere, lest thy files hide.

  4. Thou shalt not use dots (".") in a Grid file name.

  5. Thou shalt pretty-print thy AML program using SPACE, and SPACE alone. No TABs shalt thou use, lest they be misinterpreted as meaningful, and become an abomination unto you.

  6. Thou shalt not use INFO if it can be avoided.

  7. Thou shalt not bother to read the documentation for INFO.

  8. Thou shalt not build a point coverage as poly or vice versa, as this is deemed to be a great sin and your pointers will corrupteth.

  9. Thou shalt not rm xx* while thy neighbor worketh.

  10. Thou shalt not rm -r to delete coverages, as thy attribute files shall persist.

  11. Thou shalt not mv to rename coverages or cp to copy coverages, as thy link to the attribute table will be lost.

  12. Thou shalt not use default tolerances for clean.

  13. Thou shalt not use lower case letters in INFO.

  14. Thou shalt not use the command cd whilst using Arc/Info; for w be thy way to change workspaces.

  15. Thou shalt not CREATEWORKSPACE with the name of an existing coverage (or vice versa); for KILL will remove both.

  16. Thou shalt not SORT coverage attribute tables; for thy link to attributes will be lost. (Obtain absolution by sorting again in the cover#.)

  17. Thou shalt not edit (or even open) a coverage when someone else is editing it. (Formerly: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's coverage.)

  18. Thou shalt not name a coverage starting with xx, lest thou want ARC/Info to remove it automatically.

  19. Thou shalt not use stream digitizing as the Disciples of Dangermond hath deemed this as evil.

  20. Thou shalt learn to type extremely long commands and arguments and never shalt thou abbreviate help commands; as there be solace and praise in the art of typing.

  21. Thou shalt ever be dismayed that Arc/Info alloweth sin without complaint.

  22. Thou shalt not add items to .tic or .bnd files.

  23. Thou shalt not sort look-up tables on any but the key item.

  24. Thou shalt not exceed 13 characters in thy coverage name; elst thy cover# and cover-id shall be truncated.

  25. Thou shalt always remember that black is white on thy screen; yet white is black on thy paper.



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