Data managment

This chapter is all about managing data with QV. In this chapter, the design and the corresponding functions of the QV X-Plorer will be described.

This chapter may appear boring; - however it is in fact one of the most important as it will teach you some basics in data handling and will help you to make the most of QV!

The QV X-Plorer is the central management tool for all data and is very similar to the Windows Explorer in design and function.

In the QV X-Plorer, all data are selected to be displayed, edited, copied, moved and deleted. Waypoints, routes, tracks, geocaches, traings and drawings can be created or exchanged with GPS units, can be imported from other data sources and, of course, can also be exported in various formats.

Database structur

In order to handle data organisation as comfortable and effective as possible, the QV databases have a hierarchical structure:

  • Directory level
  • Database level
  • Table level
  • Various Geodata (Waypoints, routes, tracks, geocaches, traings and drawings)


It is important to note that on the level of tables you must organize your data in classes of homogenous data types. This means that:

  • Map tables may only contain maps
  • Waypoint tables may only contain waypoints
  • Route tables may only contain routes
  • Track tables may only contain tracks
  • Geocaching tables may only contain geocaches
  • Training tables may only contain trainings
  • Drawing tables may only contain drawings


This might feel inconvenient at the beginning but you will soon find out that this type of data organisation has many advantages.

If required, you can always summarize all maps and geodata which belong together as a project using the Project manager which you can access through the image1610290339.jpg icon in the Standard symbol bar.

However, always bear in mind that you may not mix data of various types in the same table of the QV X-Plorer!


Besides this basic principle of seperating different types of geodata in different tables, the structure of data organisation is as flexible as possible (The Basic version is limited in terms of the possible no. of directories and databases):

  • You can create as many objects as you like in a given table
  • You can create as many tables of varoius types as you like in a given database
  • You can create as many databases as you like in a directory
  • You can add as many directories as you like in the QV X-Plorer branch


After you have habituated to this basic approach, you will quickly find out that the X-Plorer is the ideal tool for managing even huge amounts of maps and geodata perfectly.


Remark: The physical unit in which data are stored in QV is a database. So you will not find tables including their objects physically on your harddisk drive. There, you will only find the databases including all tables and objects. If not assigned to another folder on the directory level, these database are stored under C:\Documents and settings\All Users\Documents\QuoVadis 6_Data\qu5\*.*. This can be very useful when you want to copy all databases to a QV installation on another PC (e.g. your notebook) as you can just copy all files to the same folder on the other PC. However you must take care to install all maps in the identical directories on the other PC! (QV only stores the path which specifies where the map data are located).


In the QV X-Plorer, the different directories, databases, tables and data records are labeled with symbols and can be named however you like:

Symbol Meaning
 
Directory on the hard disk that contains databases. When this is crossed out, QV cannot access this directory at the moment, probably because the path has not been found. Frozen connections which can be reactivated in the database menu.
  Database that contains tables. Each *.QU4 file in a directory corresponds to a database listed in the X-Plorer. The orange symbol indicates a write protected database. You can work normally with this database; however you cannot change, save or delete data.
    Map table containing maps. If the red A is visible, the table will be identified by the AutoMAP function when searching for maps, otherwise it won't. For further details please refer to the AutoMAP chapter.
Individual map.
Waypoint table containing waypoints.
Individual waypoint.
Route table containing routes.
Individual route, corresponding to the table of route waypoints which are contained in the route.
Individual route waypoint.
Track table containing tracks.
Individual track corresponding to the table of trackpoints which are contained in the track.
Individual trackpoint.
       image1636746269.jpg Geocaching table containing geocaches.
       image74507703.jpg Training Table containing trinings.
Drawing table containing drawings.

An individual drawing will be indicated by a symbol corresponding to the type of drawing, e.g. line, square, rectangle, circle or ellipse.
       image2004317890.jpg Project table containing projects. A project is created using the Project Manager where you can store a given set of maps and geodata including the layout. See Project Manager.
       image334324632.jpg Search table containing search queries.
Geographic names database table containing site coordinates; basically write protected except for the Topo CD import function.

Organizing your data

This is perhaps the most important chapter, because this one deals with your data, where and how it is saved and how you can sort and arrange them.

So it makes sens to read the following recommendations carefully.

Basic structure

After the installation of QV, an empty database called New database is automatically created under the QV DATA folder with an empty Map, Waypoint, Route, Track and Drawing table. The QV DATA folder is the default folder for databases and is located in the QU5 folder of the installation path, usually c:\Documents and settings\All Users\Documents\QuoVadis 6_Data. The database New database is stored on the hard disk under the name New database.qv5db.

In this database, you can immediately import new maps, create waypoints, routes, download tracks from a GPS, etc.  However, it might be wise to create different databases or tables for different types of trips or events, instead of putting everything in the same table.

Adapting the structure to your needs

By an intelligent organisation of directories, databases and tables you can structure your X-Plorer data tree clearly in order to access and retrieve your data quickly.

There is no “general rule” on how to organize your data in an optimal way, but in many occasions an approach proved to work well which stores your maps in databases named according to the continent or according to countries and using seperate databases for your geodata which you name according to the trip or event they refer to and a data such as Slovenia 2008, Lybia 2009 or Black Forest Ultra 2010, etc.


You find an example of such a database structure below:


image348427909.jpg

Following a description of all hierarchy levels:

Directory


A directory is the highest X-Plorer level and usually represents a directory on the hard disk in which databases are stored.

Datenbank


This refers to a file that contains various map or geodata tables. It has a user-defined name and always has the extension *.qv5db. You can create as many databases within a directory as you like.

By clicking the New icon on the QV Data level or by selecting New from the pop-up menu after right-clicking QV Data an assistant will open where you can create a new database or a new folder.


image1937988634.jpg
Choose what you want to create (database or folder) an click Done.

Table

A table is a container which contains all maps or geodata of a certain type, i.e. waypoints, tracks, routes, geocaches, trainings or drawings. You can create as many tables within a database as you like.

By clicking the New icon on the database level or by selecting New from the pop-up menu after right-clicking on a database, an assistant will open where you can create a new table.


image1591243470.jpg
Choose the type of table which you want to create and click Done. On the lefthand side of the window you find the “classical” table types, on the righthand side of the window you find some special table-types like Geocaching tables, Training Tables, Project Tables and Search Tables.

Saving new data

When you want to create new waypoints, routes or tracks, download data from the GPS, import or calibrate a new map, you will have to decide where you want this data to be stored. You do this simply by clicking on the desired table in the QV X-Plorer. When you import geodata from a file or download them from a GPS unit you will be asked by the corresponding assistant where the data should be stored. Th same holds true for importing maps.


Remark: Please note that the place where the new data is to be stored must be suitable for the type of new data. As an example, You cannot save waypoints in a map table but only in a waypoint table! Therefore,  the cooresponding assistants will only offer suitable tables to store new data. Furthermore, only those commands and icons will be available that are suitable for the current selection.

Data with same name