From the DoD interface standard (relevant part printed below).
Values can be stored in the following formats:
BCS-N (+/-)dd.ddd(+/-)ddd.ddd or ddmmssXdddmmssY or zzBJKeeeeennnnn or zzeeeeeennnnnnn
Description:
The format ddmmssX represents degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitude with X = N or S for north or south, and dddmmssY represents degrees, minutes, and seconds of longitude with Y = E or W for east or west, respectively. For the UTM coordinate system, coordinates shall be expressed either in plain UTM coordinates or using MGRS. Plain UTM coordinates use the format zzeeeeeennnnnnn where "zz" represents the UTM zone number, and "eeeeee," "nnnnnnn" represent Easting and Northing. UTM expressed in MGRS use format zzBJKeeeeennnnn where "zzBJK" represents the zone, band and 100 km x 100km area within the zone and "eeeee," "nnnnn" represent residuals of Easting and Northing. Decimal degrees are expressed as (+/-)dd.ddd(+/-)ddd.ddd(four times) where (+/-)dd.ddd equals latitude ("+"=northern hemisphere, "-"=southern hemisphere) and "ddd.ddd =longitude ("+"=eastern hemisphere, "-"=western hemisphere)
David K. Uspal
Technology Development Specialist
Falvey Memorial Library
Phone: 610-519-8954
Email: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Roy Tennant
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2012 3:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Storing lat / long
I stand (happily) corrected.
Roy
On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 12:14 PM, Richard, Joel M <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Assuming you're asking about storing them in the database, I will differ from Roy here and suggest saving them into to floating-point-number fields. That's always seemed to me to be to be the bets way to go (one discrete data element per field).
>
> I also feel combining is easier than parsing, but that's just me. :)
>
> --Joel
>
>
> Joel Richard
> Lead Web Developer, Web Services Department
> Smithsonian Institution Libraries | http://library.si.edu/
> (202) 633-1706 | [log in to unmask]
>
>
> On Jun 28, 2012, at 3:04 PM, Roy Tennant wrote:
>
>> Myself, I'd go with LAT,LONG. in decimal notation, with preceding plus
>> or minus when appropriate. Easy to parse and Google Maps ready.
>> Roy
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 11:57 AM, Mark Jordan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>> code4libers:
>>>
>>> What's the best (i.e., most standardized and flexible) format for storing single-point geocoordinates? Pages like http://www.maptools.com/UsingLatLon/Formats.html offer too many choices.
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>>
>>> Mark
