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Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help
Copyright information
Acknowledgements
GIS Dictionary
What's new in ArcGIS
Getting started
Fundamentals of GIS

Three views of GIS

How maps convey geographic information

Georeferencing and coordinate systems

Elements of geographic information

How GIS represents and organizes geographic information

How ArcGIS users work with geographic information

Users work with many data types and data formats in ArcGIS

Comparing Geoprocessing and Spatial Analysis
Introducing ArcGIS Desktop

What is ArcGIS 9.3

An overview of ArcGIS Desktop

Using ArcGIS Desktop

Mapping and visualization in ArcMap

The geodatabase

Workspace and dataset management with ArcCatalog

Data compilation and editing

Geoprocessing and analysis

Tips and tricks within ArcGIS
Tutorials

Tutorials

3D Analyst Tutorial

Animation in ArcMap Tutorial

ArcCatalog Tutorial

ArcMap Tutorial

ArcGIS Publisher Tutorial

ArcReader Tutorial

ArcScan Tutorial

Building a Geodatabase Tutorial

Database Servers Tutorial

Data Interoperability Tutorial

Editing Geodatabases Tutorial

Editing GIS Features Tutorial

Geocoding Tutorial

Geoprocessing Tutorial

Geostatistical Analyst Tutorial

Getting Started with ArcGIS Tutorial

Linear Referencing Tutorial

Maplex Tutorial

Network Analyst Tutorial

Representations Tutorial

Schematics Tutorial

Spatial Analyst Tutorial

StreetMap Tutorial

Survey Analyst Tutorial

Tracking Analyst Tutorial
Toolbars
Getting more help
Map projections and coordinate systems
Getting started with map projections
Geographic coordinate systems

About geographic coordinate systems

Spheroids and spheres

Datums

North American datums

What happens to features at +/-180 (dateline)?

GCS_Assumed_Geographic_1
Projected coordinate systems

About projected coordinate systems

About map projections

Projection types

Planar projections

Conic projections

Cylindrical projections

Other projections

Projection parameters
Geographic transformations

Geographic transformation methods

Equation-based methods

Grid-based methods
Supported map projections
Vertical coordinate systems

About vertical coordinate systems

Vertical datums

Geoid
Mapping and visualization
An overview of mapping and visualization

An overview of ArcMap

Data frames

Map layers

Symbols and styles

Text on maps

Cartographic representations

Map layouts and map printing

Graphs, reports, and animations

Common tasks within ArcMap

Keyboard shortcuts for use within ArcMap

ArcMap application patterns
Using ArcMap
Working with layers
Navigating and interacting with maps
Adding graphics and text to maps
Symbolizing data
Animation
Getting started with animation
Animation concepts
Building animations
Playing animations
Editing animations
Saving, exporting, and loading animations
Common animation work flows
Using cartographic representations
Page layout and map composition
Working with graphs and reports
Working with web maps in ArcGIS
Publishing optimized map services in ArcGIS

Publishing optimized map services

Drawing differences between ArcMap and optimized map services
Map Service Publication Toolbar error messages
Map Service Publication Toolbar warning messages
Map Service Publishing Toolbar information messages
Editing and data compilation
Tables and attribute information
Understanding tables and attribute information
Creating tables and managing attribute information

Creating new tables

About ObjectID fields

Adding and deleting fields

Editing values in a table

Making field calculations

Working with date fields

Reloading the table cache

Exporting records

About joining and relating tables

Joining tables

Relating tables

Joining the attributes of features by location

Creating spatial data from tables

Working with Microsoft Excel files in ArcGIS

Working with Microsoft Access files in ArcGIS
Displaying tables and attribute information

Previewing a table in ArcCatalog

Adding and viewing tables in ArcMap

Setting field properties, aliases, and table display options

Navigating to and finding records in a table

Sorting records in a table

Selecting records in a table

Summarizing data in a table

Printing a table

Adding a table to a layout

Viewing statistics for a table

Creating a graph from a table

Creating a report from a table
Geoprocessing
Geoprocessing tool reference

An overview of commonly used tools

Geoprocessing commands quick reference guide

Licensing for geoprocessing tools

Data types for geoprocessing tool parameters
Input and output data considerations
3D Analyst toolbox

An overview of the 3D Analyst toolbox

Understanding 3D data

Concepts of surface analysis

Working with TIN surfaces

Working with raster surfaces

3D visualization
3D Analyst Conversion toolset
Functional Surface toolset
Raster Interpolation toolset
Raster Math toolset
Raster Reclass toolset
Raster Surface toolset
Terrain toolset
TIN Creation toolset
TIN Surface toolset
Analysis toolbox
Business Analyst toolbox
Cartography toolbox
Conversion toolbox
Coverage toolbox
Data Interoperability toolbox

An overview of the Data Interoperability toolbox
Tools
Data Management toolbox
Geocoding toolbox
Geostatistical Analyst toolbox
Linear Referencing toolbox

An overview of the Linear Referencing toolbox

Understanding linear referencing

Creating route data

Creating and editing event data

Linear Referencing sample applications
Tools
Military Analyst toolbox
Mobile toolbox
Military Overlay Editor toolbox

An overview of the Military Overlay Editor toolbox
Utilities toolset
Multidimensional toolbox

An overview of the Multidimension toolbox
Tools
Network Analyst toolbox

An overview of the Network Analyst toolbox
Analysis toolset
Network Dataset toolset
Turn Feature Class toolset
Server toolbox

An overview of the Server toolbox
Caching toolset
Schematics toolbox
Spatial Analyst toolbox
Spatial Statistics toolbox
Samples toolbox

An overview of the Samples toolbox
Conversion
Data Management
Tracking Analyst toolbox
Environment Settings

Environment settings
General settings
Cartography settings
Coverage settings
Geodatabase settings
Geostatistical Analysis settings
Raster Analysis settings
Raster Storage settings
Tool errors and warnings
Geodatabases and ArcSDE
An overview of the geodatabase

An overview of the geodatabase

Essential readings about the geodatabase

Table basics

Feature class basics

Raster basics

Types of geodatabases

Client and geodatabase compatibility

Common geodatabase tasks
Architecture of a geodatabase
Designing a geodatabase
Building a geodatabase
Data management workflows, transactions, and versioning
Getting started with editing and maintaining data
Working with non-versioned data
Working with versioned data
Managing Distributed Data
Archiving data
Geodatabase data storage and schema

A short history lesson on simple features

How geodatabases are stored in a DBMS
Feature geometry and raster data storage
Inside a geodatabase in DB2
Inside a geodatabase in Informix
Inside a geodatabase in Oracle
Inside a geodatabase in PostgreSQL
Inside a geodatabase in SQL Server
Administering ArcSDE geodatabases
Administering File and Personal geodatabases

An overview of administering file and personal geodatabases

File geodatabases: compressing vs. compacting

Compacting file and personal geodatabases

About compressing file geodatabase data

Upgrading file and personal geodatabases

File geodatabases and Windows Explorer

File geodatabase size and name limits

File geodatabases and locking
Working with geodatabases using SQL
Data management with ArcCatalog

An overview of ArcCatalog

About workspaces
Getting started with ArcCatalog
Building the Catalog

About folders and file types

Managing folder connections

Creating and accessing geodatabases

Creating spatial database connections

Adding OLE DB connections

About database server connections

About GIS servers and services

Connecting to GIS servers

Working with database connections

Hiding folders and items

Altering the data formats read by ArcCatalog

Working with file types

Accessing delimited text file data
Managing the Catalog's contents

The Contents tab

Working in Details view

Changing the columns in Details view

Modifying the default settings for exploring contents

Exploring an item's properties

Organizing your data

Converting data to a different format
Exploring an item's geography
Searching for items
Working with metadata
Image and raster data management
Data support in ArcGIS

An overview of data support in ArcGIS

Data formats supported in ArcGIS
CAD data
Coverages

What is a coverage

Summary of coverage feature classes

Coverage resolution (precision)

How coverages are stored

Creating a new coverage

Understanding and maintaining attributes in a coverage

About fields (items) in coverage attribute tables

Creating a new INFO table

About the coverage extent

Coverage tics

Defining a coverage's coordinate system

Coverage topology

Coverage tolerances

Coverage relationships and relationship classes

Coverage data limitations

Importing an ArcInfo interchange file (E00)
NetCDF: multidimensional, time series data
An overview of netCDF data
Understanding netCDF data
Working with netCDF data in ArcGIS
Shapefiles

About shapefiles, dBASE tables, and file types

Shapefile file extensions

Creating new shapefiles and dBASE tables

Adding and deleting fields in shapefiles

Creating and updating indexes in shapefiles

Defining a shapefile's coordinate system

How to salvage a corrupt shapefile
Terrains

An overview of terrain datasets

FAQs for terrain datasets

Terrain dataset troubleshooting

Known limitations of terrain datasets
Understanding terrain datasets
Properties of terrain datasets
Building terrain datasets
Managing terrain datasets
Terrain analysis
Terrain visualization
Extensions
Geocoding and address management
Getting started with geocoding

An overview of geocoding

Definition of the address locator
Understanding geocoding

What is an address?

The geocoding work flow

The geocoding framework

The process of geocoding

Customization of the address locator

Common geocoding tasks
Preparing for geocoding
Building an address locator

Defining the address locator components

Creating an address locator

Modifying an address locator's settings

Managing address locators in ArcMap

Managing address locators in ArcCatalog

Migrating address locators created with ArcGIS prior to version 9.2
Locating addresses

The geocoding process

Finding an individual address

Getting an address of a location

Geocoding a table of addresses

Rematching a geocoded feature class
Additional geocoding techniques
Keeping an address locator current
Distributing your address locator
Adjusting your address locator file

Exploring the address locator file

Why change your address locator file?

Changing default settings

Changing default settings in the address locator template file

Table schema and the locator file

Accommodating alternative reference table schema

Modifying the query

Accommodating changes in the geocoding rule base files

Address Locator Properties dialog box
About StreetMap data

About StreetMap data
Linear referencing
Getting started with linear referencing

An overview of linear referencing

Common tasks in linear referencing

Some linear referencing scenarios

Linear referencing datasets in ArcGIS

Designing a linear referencing system in your geodatabase
Creating route feature classes
Displaying and querying route feature classes
Displaying and querying route events
Editing routes
Creating and editing event data
Working with route event data
Network analysis
Mobile GIS
Interoperability and standards support

Overview of interoperability

Overview of OGC and ISO support

ESRI protocols and programming interfaces
GML support in ArcGIS
WFS support in ArcGIS
WCS support in ArcGIS
WMS support in ArcGIS
KML support in ArcGIS
Customizing and developing with ArcGIS
Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS
Licensing and desktop administration
GIS Servers and services