IN-DB Tools: Enable geography as type to write to databases that support spatial data.

[KeithTroutt]

I would like the ability to take custom geographies and write them to a table in Exasol. We visualize our data with Tableau and rely on live connections to Exasol tables rather than Tableau extracts. One shortcoming with spatial is that we have to output our custom geographies as a .shp file then make a Tableau Extract.  This would save us a few steps in sharing this data with our users. 

Thanks!

[steven4320555]

Hi @KeithTroutt 

Good Idea! We need to talk about it:)

May I get more information on how do you plan to store the spatial data in Exasol (as string or spatial field or other type)?

What type of geography do you want to sent to Exasol?

(Do you want to write Alteryx spatialobj to Exasol as wkt? Do you want Alteryx flow that can create hyper with geometry as Tableau's geometry field- without outputing to shape files and then mannually extract?

If yes, please upvote this! There is not enough attention to my idea proposed on ‎09-27-2017 :

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Ideas/Support-WKT-as-Spatial-object-output-spatial... )

Actually, I am having the similar need as you working on Exasol database, and with a lot of spatial fields want to be visualised in Tableau natively. But I haven't found ways of visualising polygon data in Tableau with Exasol as a live connection. I have tried multipe ways,including, hacking the Tableau's firebird DB (spatial fields are stored as wkt, and defined as string in firebird DB) - as done by https://www.theinformationlab.co.uk/2015/06/05/using-alteryx-to-create-tableau-filled-maps-2/ , but no luck yet.

My current understanding is Tableau's capacity in understanding spatial field in database is depending on its relationship with the database.

For MSSQL server, which currently is the only spatially supported database in Tableau, it mentioned in Tableau's documentation "For Microsoft SQL Server, only Geography-type spatial data is supported." https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/maps_spatial_sql.htm#Connect

For PostgreSQL, if you are participating the pre-release test for PostgreSQL and PostGIS, https://twitter.com/datakmart/status/1075876957944872960

Both geography and geometry are supported.

For the Firebird DB, which used inside Tableau as built-in geocoding database, the spatial field is in string field, same as the format in Exasol. This might be encouraging to know.

I think, with better understanding on how Tableau is handling geocoding, Exasol database can be used together/ in place of Firebired database. Hope this information may be useful.

Feel free to get in touch.

Steven

https://twitter.com/steven4320555  

[steven4320555]

I think I missed the in-DB part. The idea seems not yet fully available for normal work flow, not to say in-DB.

But an observation for in-DB spatial, using MSSQL server with OleDB driver, the in-DB browse can view spatial objects sometimes.  

Also, the title of your idea may be too generic. From my understanding, the support of functionalities is database dependent. As different database has it's own language/ dialect. Exasol is powerful, but maybe not a major database yet.

[lwarner013]

Cool idea