GrADS command: query dbf

## q dbf

This command lists the contents of a shapefile attribute database.

### Syntax

`q dbf shapefile <delimiter>`

`shapefile` is the name of the shapefile.
`delimiter` is an optional argument that provides an alternative string (max 3 characters) to serve as a delimiter between fields (default is a comma).

### Usage Notes

This command is available with version 2.0.a8. The `<delimiter>` option was added with version 2.2.0.

It is not necessary to include the file extension (.dbf) on the end of `shapefile`, just the filename root is adequate.

If you put the three shapefile components (*.shp, *.shx, and *.dbf) in the GrADS data directory (pointed to by the GADDIR environment variable), then it is not necessary to include the full path in `shapefile`.

The first line of output contains a comma-delimited list of the names of all the attributes for each record in the database. Subsequent lines contain the comma-delimited list of all the attribute values for each record.

A companion command, `q shp`, lists the contents of the shapefile. There is a 1:1 correspondence between elements in the shapefile and records in the database.

Please see the documentation page on shapefiles for more details.

### Examples

    ga-> q dbf /home/GIS/climatedivs/divisions
    RECORD#,AREA,PERIMETER,CLIMDIVS_,ST,DIV,NAME,DIVISION_I
    0,4.463,11.489,2,MN,2,NORTH CENTRAL,2102
    1,0.988,9.344,3,WA,3,PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS,4503
    2,3.066,16.450,4,WA,4,E OLYMPIC CASCADE FOOTHILLS,4504
    3,3.099,12.733,5,WA,6,EAST SLOPE CASCADES,4506<
    .
    .
    .
    385,0.958,5.437,59,OR,4,NORTHERN CASCADES,3504
    386,2.712,9.973,49,OR,6,NORTH CENTRAL,3506

    ga-> q dbf /home/GIS/climatedivs/divisions {}
    RECORD#{}AREA{}PERIMETER{}CLIMDIVS_{}ST{}DIV{}NAME{}DIVISION_I
    0{}4.463{}11.489{}2{}MN{}2{}NORTH CENTRAL{}2102
    1{}0.988{}9.344{}3{}WA{}3{}PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS{}4503
    2{}3.066{}16.450{}4{}WA{}4{}E OLYMPIC CASCADE FOOTHILLS{}4504
    3{}3.099{}12.733{}5{}WA{}6{}EAST SLOPE CASCADES{}4506
    .
    .
    .
    385{}0.958{}5.437{}59{}OR{}4{}NORTHERN CASCADES{}3504
    386{}2.712{}9.973{}49{}OR{}6{}NORTH CENTRAL{}3506