You are on page 1of 24

ArcCatalog and

Geodatabases
ArcCatalog
ArcCatalog is one of the three components of the ArcGIS
software. The other two are ArcMap and ArcToolbox.

ArcCatalog has advanced capabilities for accessing, managing


and previewing data.
View Types
There are three different types of views for data display:
Contents
Preview
Metadata

Main menu
Standard View Type
toolbar

Catalog
Tree Display

Preview
Type
Folder Connection
To access the data in a
folder or geodatabase, a
connection has to be
established.

To establish the
connection, click on the
Connect to Folder button.

In the Connect to Folder


wizard, navigate to the
folder or geodatabase that
contains the data and click
OK.
Preview

Geography Preview Table Preview


Metadata
The metadata view in ArcCatalog can be used for viewing information
about the data.

Metadata can be created, edited, imported or exported using the


Metadata toolbar.
Geodatabase

A geodatabase is a relational database that contains spatial


and non-spatial objects.
Types of Geodatabases
Personal Geodatabases:
Have .mdb extension.
Can be viewed by multiple users but edited by only one user at a
time.
Have a maximum size of 2 Gigabytes.
Do not store raster data.

Multi-user Geodatabases:
Require ArcSDE and a DBMS ( Data Base Management Systems).
Can be read and edited by multiple users at the same time.
Can store raster data.
Personal Geodatabases
Importable Data Types:
Coverages
Shapefiles
CAD drawings
INFO tables
DBF tables

Can be opened with ArcCatalog and MSAccess.


Geodatabase Elements
Workspace
Geodatabase
Feature Dataset

Feature Class

Geometric
Network

Relationship Class
Table
Feature Class
A feature class is a collection
of geographic objects in
tabular format that have the
same behavior and the same
attributes. All feature classes
have a field named Shape.

A feature class can be stored


at the geodatabase root or in a
feature dataset.

New feature classes can be


created using ArcCatalog. To
do this, right click on a
geodatabase or feature
dataset, and point to
New/Feature Class.
Feature Class Types

Annotation

Line

Point
Polygon
Tables
A table (or object class) is a collection of non-spatial objects in tabular format
that have the same behavior and the same attributes. All object classes have a
field called ObjectID, sometimes also called FID or OID.

Tables can be stored at the root level of geodatabases but not inside feature
datasets.

Table format supported: INFO, dBase and others.


Attribute Domain
Attribute domains are used
to constrain the values
allowed in any particular
attribute of a table or
feature class.

There are two different


types of domains
Range Domains
Define a range of
acceptable values for an
attribute
Coded Value Domains
Define a set of acceptable
values for an attribute
Domain Properties
Field Type: Text, short
integer, long integer,
double, date, etc.

Domain Type: Coded


values, range

Split policy: Duplicate,


default or geometric
ratio

Merge policy: Default,


sum, weighted average
Subtype
Subtypes are subsets of
feature classes and tables.

Objects in a class can be


differentiated based on
attribute values attached
to the features.

Example: A feature class


that represents roads can
have two types of roads -
US Highway and
Interstate. Each type
forms a class subtype.
Feature Dataset
A Feature Dataset is a
collection of feature classes
that have the same spatial
reference.

Feature datasets can also


store relationship classes and
geometric networks, but not
tables.

New feature datasets can be


created using ArcCatalog. To
do this, right click on a
geodatabase, then point to
New/Feature Dataset.
Feature Dataset Properties
The Feature Dataset
Properties wizard can be
used for viewing or
defining a feature
datasets spatial
reference properties.
Relationships
A Relationship is an association or link between two objects in
a database.

A relationship can exist between spatial objects (features of


feature classes), non-spatial objects (records of tables), or
between spatial and non-spatial objects.
Relationships
Relationship between non-spatial objects

State Name
and code

State
Population
Relationships
Relationship between spatial and non-spatial objects

Spatial data

Non-spatial data
Relationships
Relationship between two spatial objects

Spatial data

Spatial data
Relationship Class
A relationship class is an association
between two object classes (i.e.,
feature classes or tables).

Relationships can be one-to-one, one-


to-many or many-to-many.

Can be created and edited using


ArcInfo or ArcEditor only, but can
be accessed with ArcView.
Relationship Class
Can be inside or outside feature
datasets.
References
Mac Donald, Building a Geodatabase, Environmental
Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Redlands, Calif

http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/maidment/giswr2003/visual/
lecture22003.ppt

http://mark.gisc.kennesaw.edu/4405/Geodatabase.pdf

http://visc.sis.pitt.edu/resources/tutorials/GIS/Geodatabas
es.pdf

http://www.gis.state.ar.us/Downloads/GIS/presentations/Ge
odatabase%20101.pdf

You might also like