Import info from mdb file into a project?

Keep in mind that QGIS 1.8 on Windows supports .mdb under Layer->Add Vector Layer...->Browse->and change the file type in the drop-down to the right of the "File name"" form field.

But.... QGIS 1.8 on OSX does not support opening of .mdb's (afaict)


WARN: it seems the 'Join Attributes' function ha been removed from fTools 0.6.2, solution for me was to downgrade to 0.6.1.


You can use QGIS to perform the operation you want, please proceed as follows:

  1. if not installed already, install Quantum GIS (an Open Source desktop GIS) and then install fTools as described here
  2. export the mdb table or query into dbf format (from Access, select the object, right click, export)
  3. open the region shapefile in qgis
  4. click on the Vector menu, Data management, Join attributes (I am translating roughly from my localized version)
  5. fill out the dialog and then click ok
  6. you should now have another layer with data from btoh the region shapefile and the dbf file

See the image below for an example:

Usage example


This solutions works:

  1. / 2. / 3. done (thanks to @Unicoletti reply)
  2. add vector and choose your exported file ("info.dbf" in this case)
  3. you can see the new layer in the left bar
  4. double-click on the original layer ("town") and go in the menu join
  5. add a new join choosing the layer "info"
  6. choose the colum to match in each file
  7. you should have in the original layer the data coming from your DB