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

What is ArcGIS 9.2

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

ArcGIS Desktop extensions

Tips and tricks within ArcGIS
Tutorials
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
Geographic coordinate systems

About geographic coordinate systems

Spheroids and spheres

Datums

North American datums

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

Adding layers to a map

Adding x,y coordinate data as a layer

Changing a layer's drawing order

Changing a layer's text description

Setting layer properties

Managing group layers

Saving a layer to disk

Copying layers

Displaying layers at certain scales

Displaying a subset of features in a layer

Repairing broken data links

Viewing a layer's metadata in ArcMap
GIS service layers
Navigating and interacting with maps
Adding graphics and text to maps
Symbolizing data
Animation
Using cartographic representations
Page layout and map composition
Working with graphs and reports
Editing and data compilation

An overview of editing and data compilation
Getting started with editing
Common editing tasks
Creating new features

About creating new features

Creating point features and vertices

Creating lines and polygons

Creating segments using angles and lengths

Creating segments using angles from existing segments

Creating segments that are circular arc curves

Creating segments by tracing features

Creating buffers

Mirroring features

Combining features from different layers

Intersecting features

Merging and separating features

Copying parallel line features

Creating a fillet curve between two lines

Creating cul-de-sac lines

Creating lines with the Traverse window

Creating lines with the 2-Point Line window

Creating lines with the Offset Line window
Editing existing features
Editing attributes
Editing annotation
Editing dimension features
Using a digitizer
Spatial adjustment
Editing topology
Editing relationships and related objects
COGO

An overview of COGO

Common COGO workflows

About COGO descriptions

Adding COGO fields to a feature class

Traverse file format

Offset points file format

Applying a ground to grid correction

Reporting COGO descriptions

Using the Curve Calculator command

Using the COGO Area command

Splitting features into COGO lines
Geoprocessing

What is geoprocessing?

A whirlwind tour of geoprocessing

Geoprocessing tools

Geoprocessing framework

Frequently Asked Questions about geoprocessing
Fundamental tool concepts
Using geoprocessing tools
Automating your work with models
Automating your work with scripts
Geoprocessing environments
Documenting tools and toolboxes
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
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
Business Analyst toolbox
Cartography toolbox
Conversion toolbox

An overview of the Conversion toolbox
From Raster toolset
Metadata toolset
To CAD toolset
To Coverage toolset
To dBASE toolset
To Geodatabase toolset
To Raster toolset
To Shapefile toolset
Coverage toolbox
Data Interoperability toolbox
Data Management toolbox
Geocoding toolbox
Geostatistical Analyst toolbox
Linear Referencing toolbox
Multidimensional toolbox
Military Analyst toolbox

An overview of the Military Analyst toolbox
Data Management toolset
Geometry toolset
Utilities toolset
Military Overlay Editor toolbox
Network Analyst toolbox
Server 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
Raster Analysis settings
Raster Storage settings
Geodatabases and ArcSDE
An overview of the Geodatabase
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

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
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
Extensions
Geocoding and address management
Getting started with geocoding
Understanding geocoding
Preparing for geocoding
Building an address locator
Locating addresses
Additional geocoding techniques
Keeping an address locator current

Updating your reference data

Versioned data and the address locator

Rebuilding address locators
Distributing your address locator
Adjusting your address locator file
About StreetMap data
Linear referencing
Network analysis

Using the Network Analyst extension
Analyzing geometric networks
Mobile GIS
GPS
Tablet PC
ArcPad integration
Interoperability and standards support
Customizing and developing with ArcGIS
Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS
Licensing and desktop administration
ArcGIS Image Server
GIS Servers and services