The Manmade Features DLG attribute information includes multiple files. There is a DBF file (dBASE version III - dlgmm.dbf) and a Word file (version 5.1 - dlgmmupd.wp) both with attribute information concerning manmade features.

The DBF file was derived from several text files, as was the Word file; where information is duplicated in both files it will be identical. The Word file, however, contains more information than DBF file. This is due mostly to the nature of the data and a database. The DLG data when imported has major and minor codes, all classified as numerals. The text documentation had a mixture of text and numerals in the attribute code columns. This did not translate perfectly into a database format that could be used as a lookup table.

The original files documenting this data came from the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS), as text files. There were two sets of files; the original documentation, and an updated version from 1995. The more recent documents are available on this site as well, in a zipped version. The files includes here are a combination of the new and old files. The DBF file contains ONLY the current (new) codes. The Word file contains the current data as well as notations on the older codes. BE AWARE that DLG data on the WWW may be new or old vintage, and may have old as well as new coding. With these two files you should be able to resolve conflicts over unclear codes.

In some cases the text description could be transformed into numerals; where this was fairly easy to do, such as the major code (feet, meters, etc) for hydrography, water surface elevation, numerals were inserted into the DBF file. In all other cases, a 999 (for major codes) or 9999 (for minor codes) has been inserted into the location in the file where the text values were. The original values have been moved to the BEGINNING of the description field, and placed in parens (). This should not occur in the Manmade features file.

For the survey and control marker data, the dlgmm.dbf file fields are labeled major1, minor1, description, and sdtsdlg. The first three are the fields in the DLG data where the actual attributes are found. The third is the SDTS dlg code equivalent (actually a combination of major1 and minor1).

The assumption has been made with these files that if you are importing the DLG data into ArcView you will import the manmade features information as a point file at this time. The information displayed in the attribute files will be okay if you import the data as a polygon file, but the shape file might not draw on the screen. The reason this occurs is not clear at this time. Testing is continuing.