<para>The loader is called <filename>shp2pgsql</filename> and converts
ESRI Shape files into SQL suitable for loading in PostGIS/PostgreSQL.
The dumper is called <filename>pgsql2shp</filename> and converts PostGIS
- tables into ESRI Shape files.</para>
+ tables (or queries) into ESRI Shape files.</para>
</sect1>
</chapter>
<title>Using the Dumper</title>
<para>The <filename>pgsql2shp</filename> table dumper connects
- directly to the database and converts a table into a shape file. The
+ directly to the database and converts a table (possibly defined by
+ a query) into a shape file. The
basic syntax is:</para>
- <programlisting>pgsql2shp [<options>] <database> <table></programlisting>
+ <programlisting>pgsql2shp [<options>] <database> [<schema>.]<table></programlisting>
+ <programlisting>pgsql2shp [<options>] <database> <query></programlisting>
<para>The commandline options are:</para>
<variablelist>
- <varlistentry>
- <term>-d</term>
-
- <listitem>
- <para>Write a 3-dimensional shape file. The default is to write
- a 2-dimensional shape file.</para>
- </listitem>
- </varlistentry>
-
<varlistentry>
<term>-f <filename></term>
escape column names.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>-d</term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>For backward compatibility: write a 3-dimensional shape
+ file when dumping from old (pre-1.0.0) postgis databases (the
+ default is to write a 2-dimensional shape file in that case).
+ Starting from postgis-1.0.0+, dimensions are fully encoded.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
</variablelist>
</sect2>
</sect1>