Using PostgreSQL with QGIS and ArcGIS?

Question

Is it possible to use PostgreSQL with QGIS and ArcGIS? i.e. one database for different clients.

Is it anything that I have worry or any problems to use the DBMS from two different software?

I know that I need PostGIS and ArcSDE and I can't manipulate or store raster data with PostGIS 1.5 in PostgreSQL from QGIS.

What would you recommend or what to avoid?

Answer 1

I sat in on a PostgreSQL/ArcSDE presentation (link1, link2) at this weeks Esri conference and they talked a little about this. They Esri product engineer said (at least I interpreted what she said) that:

• ArcGIS 10.1 only supports PostGIS 1.5
• ArcGIS 10.1 service pack 1 will support simple geometry features from PostGIS 2.0, but not advanced postgis features like topologies or raster
• In order to create an esri geodatabase on postgres, you will have to install the st_geometry library built by esri. Users will NOT have to install this library if directly connecting to PostGIS geometry.
• 10.1 will allow users to connect to a spatial or non-spatial database the same way. Nonspatial database connections are treated as equals to geodatabase connections.
• Store all of your tables and field names in lowercase. (See page 43 of the linked presentation, and What does 'DBMS table not found' message mean?

From the sounds of it, if you want to do a direct connection to a PostGIS database (with simple features) you should be able to connect to the data through both ArcGIS 10.1 and QGIS.

Read more in the ArcGIS online help topic "A quick tour of geodatabases in PostgreSQL".