Geodatabases

Introduction to Geodatabases

These are notes written by someone learning to use ESRI geodatabases. Specifically, the variation known as the "personal geodatabase" (or PGDB).

Brian Wilson 16:10, 15 January 2006 (PST)

Scope

I am not attempting to duplicate the ESRI documentation. When I learn something new, I write about it to help cement it more firmly in my head, and so that I can refer back to my notes later.

Terminology

An informal Comparison of geodata formats

Feature Dataset Feature Class

Why use a geodatabase?

Enterprise class versus PGDB

Data management --

Version control --

PGDB - you can keep all the data for a project in one PGDB.

Vector data --

Raster data -- Requires 9.x or better. Not supported in 8.3.

Annotation --

Tabular data --

Topology

I am at home right now, where I use ArcView 8.3. ArcView which does not support topologies. I will write more on this topic when I have access to ArcInfo.