1. ArcCatalog and Geodatabases
Francisco Olivera, Ph.D., P.E.
Srikanth Koka
Department of Civil Engineering
Texas A&M University

2. 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.

3. View Types There are three different types of views for data display:
Contents
Preview
Metadata
Main menu
Catalog Tree
View Type
Display
Preview Type
Standard
toolbar

4. 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.

5. Preview
Geography Preview
Table Preview

6. 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.

7. Geodatabase
A geodatabase is a relational database that contains spatial and non-spatial objects.

8. Types of Geodatabases Personal Geodatabases: Multi-user 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.

9. Personal Geodatabases
Importable Data Types:
Coverages
Shapefiles
CAD drawings
INFO tables
DBF tables
Can be opened with ArcCatalog and MSAccess.

10. Geodatabase Elements Workspace Geodatabase Feature Dataset
Feature Class
Geometric
Network
Relationship Class
Table

11. 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.

12. Feature Class Types
Point
Annotation
Line
Polygon

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Feature Dataset Properties
The Feature Dataset Properties wizard can be used for viewing or defining a feature dataset’s spatial reference properties.

19. 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.

20. Relationships Relationship between non-spatial objects State Name
and code
State Population

21. Relationships Relationship between spatial and non-spatial objects
Spatial data
Non-spatial data

22. Relationships
Relationship between two spatial objects
Spatial data

23. 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.
Can be inside or outside feature datasets.
Relationship Class

24. References
Mac Donald, “Building a Geodatabase”, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Redlands, Calif