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Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help
Copyright information
GIS Dictionary
What's new in ArcGIS

What's new in ArcGIS 9.2
Migration guides
Getting started
Fundamentals of GIS data

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
Introducing ArcGIS Desktop
Tutorials

Tutorials

Getting Started Quickstart tutorial index

3D Analyst tutorial index

Animation in ArcMap tutorial index

ArcGIS Publisher tutorial index

ArcReader tutorial index

ArcScan tutorial index

Building a Geodatabase tutorial index

Data interoperability tutorial index

Database servers tutorial index

Editing geodatabases tutorial index

Editing GIS features tutorial index

Geocoding tutorial index

Geoprocessing tutorial index

Linear Referencing tutorial index

Maplex tutorial index

Representations tutorial index

Spatial Analyst tutorial index

StreetMap tutorial index

Tracking Analyst tutorial index
Toolbars

Core ArcMap toolbars

ArcCatalog toolbars

Extension toolbars

ArcScene toolbars

ArcGlobe toolbars

ArcReader toolbars
Getting more help

Using this help system

Getting help within the applications

ArcGIS Desktop Documentation Library

Accessing ESRI Software Training

Using the GIS Dictionary

Contacting Technical Support

Support for users located outside the United States

Contacting ESRI
Map projections and coordinate systems
Getting started with map projections

An overview of map projections

Projection basics the GIS professional needs to know

About the geoid, ellipsoid, spheroid and datum, and how they are related

Identifying an unknown coordinate system

Converting Degrees Minutes Seconds values to Decimal Degree values
Geographic coordinate systems

About geographic coordinate systems

Spheroids and spheres

Datums

North American datums

What happens to features at +/-180 (dateline)?
Projected coordinate systems
Geographic transformations
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

Cartographic representations

Map layouts and map printing

Graphs, reports, and animations

Common tasks within ArcMap

Shortcuts for common tasks within ArcMap
Using ArcMap

Layers, data frames, and the table of contents

Starting ArcMap

Creating a new map

Opening a map

Using the table of contents

About coordinate systems and map projections

Specifying a coordinate system

Referencing data in the map

Working with data frames

Pausing the map's drawing

Saving a map and exiting ArcMap

Saving to previous versions of ArcGIS

Keyboard shortcuts in ArcMap
Working with layers
Navigating and interacting with maps
Navigating maps and layout pages
Interacting with maps
Adding graphics and text to maps
Working with graphics
Working with text
Symbolizing data
Applying symbology
Styles and symbols
Animation
Using cartographic representations
Page layout and map composition
Working with graphs and reports
Editing and data compilation
Geoprocessing

What is geoprocessing?

A whirlwind tour of geoprocessing

Geoprocessing tools

Geoprocessing framework

Frequently Asked Questions about geoprocessing
Fundamental tool concepts
Using geoprocessing tools

An overview of using tools
Using the tool dialog
Managing toolboxes
Managing tools and toolsets
Batch processing
Using tools in the command line
Tool layers
Automating your work with models
Automating your work with scripts
Geoprocessing environments
Documenting tools and toolboxes

An overview of documenting tools and toolboxes

An overview of the Documentation Editor

Entering topics in the Documentation Editor

Using the page editor

Documenting models

Documenting scripts

Viewing documentation for tools

Changing tool dialog appearance

Referencing a compiled help file

Exporting tool documentation to an HTML file
Sharing tools and toolboxes

An overview of sharing tools and toolboxes

Methods for distributing tools

Pathnames explained: absolute, relative, UNC, and URL

A structure for sharing tools

Managing intermediate data

Accessing ArcSDE data in tools

Sharing Python modules
Sharing tools on an ArcGIS Server
Keeping track of geoprocessing history
Advanced modeling through simulations

An overview of advance modeling through simulations

General concepts of modeling through simulations
Developing the different modeling approaches
Geoprocessing tool reference

An overview of commonly used tools

Geoprocessing commands quick reference guide

Licensing for geoprocessing tools

Data types for geoprocessing tool parameters
3D Analyst toolbox
Analysis toolbox

An overview of the Analysis toolbox

Comparison poster of Overlay and Extract tools

Analysis toolbox sample applications
Extract toolset
Overlay toolset
Proximity toolset
Statistics toolset
Business Analyst toolbox

An overview of the Business Analyst toolbox
Analysis toolset
Customer Setup toolset
Modeling toolset
Reports toolset
Segmentation Analysis toolset
Segmentation Profiles toolset
Store Setup toolset
Thematic Maps toolset
Trade Areas toolset
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

An overview of the Geostatistical Analyst toolbox

Understanding geostatistical analysis

Working with a geostatistical layer

Creating a grid from a geostatistical layer

Geostatistical Analyst toolbox sample applications
Tools
Linear Referencing toolbox
Multidimensional toolbox

An overview of the Multidimension toolbox
Tools
Military Analyst toolbox

An overview of the Military Analyst toolbox
Data Management toolset
Geometry toolset
Utilities toolset
Military Overlay Editor toolbox

An overview of the Military Overlay Editor toolbox
Utilities toolset
Network Analyst toolbox
Server toolbox

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

An overview of the Spatial Statistics toolbox

Modeling spatial relationships

Spatial Statistics toolbox sample applications
Analyzing Patterns toolset
Mapping Clusters toolset
Measuring Geographic Distributions toolset
Utilities toolset
Samples toolbox
Tracking Analyst toolbox
Environment Settings

Environment settings
General settings
Cartography settings
Coverage settings
Geodatabase settings
Raster Analysis settings
Raster Storage settings
Geodatabases and ArcSDE
An overview of the Geodatabase
Architecture of a geodatabase
Designing a geodatabase

An overview of geodatabase design

Geodatabase design steps

Using ArcGIS Data Model designs

Documenting your geodatabase design

Modeling feature classes

A note about the use of UML for geodatabase design

Design Tips
Building a geodatabase
Creating a geodatabase
Defining the properties of a geodatabase
Adding datasets and other geodatabase elements
Working with geodatabase datasets
Data management workflows, transactions, and versioning
Geodatabase data storage and schema

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

An overview of ArcSDE geodatabase administration

What is ArcSDE?
Installing and upgrading ArcSDE
Configuring an ArcSDE geodatabase
Creating and administering user accounts
Connecting to an ArcSDE geodatabase
Maintaining a geodatabase
Tuning an ArcSDE geodatabase
Scaling and moving your geodatabase
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 personal geodatabases

File geodatabases and the file system
Working with geodatabases using SQL

An overview of working with a geodatabase using SQL

Spatial relationships

Spatial operations

SQL implementation differences
Using spatial types with SQL
SQL functions reference
Data management with ArcCatalog
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
Raster data
Shapefiles
Tables and attribute information
Understanding tables and attribute information
Creating tables and managing attribute information
Displaying tables and attribute information
Terrains
Extensions
Geocoding and address management
Linear referencing
Network analysis

Using the Network Analyst extension
Analyzing geometric networks

What is a geometric network?
Creating and managing geometric networks
Editing geometric networks
Analyzing geometric networks
Mobile GIS
GPS

Getting started with ArcMap GPS Support

Adding the GPS toolbar

Connecting to a GPS device

Simulating a connection to a GPS device

Using the GPS Position window

Changing the display options

Keeping the current location in the view

Adding a destination

Writing GPS locations to a log
Tablet PC

An overview of Tablet PC technology

ArcGIS and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Adding the Tablet toolbar

Pen tool

Highlighter tool

Eraser tool

Commands on the Tablet toolbar
ArcPad integration
Interoperability and standards support
Customizing and developing with ArcGIS
Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS
ESRI Data and Maps
Getting started with ESRI Data and Maps
United States (census)
United States (hydrography)
United States (landmarks)
United States (transportation)
United States (other)
StreetMap USA
World
Europe
Canada
Mexico
Elevation and image data
Working with StreetMap data
Getting started with StreetMap
Geocoding addresses with StreetMap USA data
Finding a route using StreetMap USA data
Licensing and desktop administration
ArcGIS Image Server
GIS Servers and services

An overview of GIS services

Servers and the services they provide

User, author, administrator, and developer roles

Types of ArcIMS services

Types of services in ArcGIS Server

WMS service

Using GIS Services in ArcGIS Desktop applications

Thinking about maps in web-enabled GIS applications

Understanding map caches in ArcGIS

Managing server connections in the GIS Servers folder
Authoring and publishing services

An overview of authoring and publishing services

Data access considerations for ArcGIS Server

Publishing resources
Administering ArcGIS Server with ArcCatalog