Collapse all Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help Copyright information Acknowledgements GIS Dictionary

What's new in ArcGIS

Getting started

Fundamentals of GIS 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 Toolbars Core ArcMap toolbars ArcCatalog toolbars Extension toolbars ArcScene toolbars ArcGlobe toolbars ArcReader toolbars Getting more help

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 Projected coordinate systems Geographic transformations Supported map projections Vertical coordinate systems About vertical coordinate systems Vertical datums Geoid

Mapping and visualization

Editing and data compilation

An overview of editing and data compilation Getting started with editing About editing your geodatabase in ArcMap Adding the data you want to edit Editing ArcSDE geodatabases The structure of vector datasets Adding the editing toolbars Starting and stopping an edit session The sketch construction tools Using the snapping environment About setting distance units Setting direction measuring systems and units Editing features that have z-values Shortcut keys for editing in ArcMap Frequently asked questions about editing Common editing tasks Creating new features Editing existing features Editing attributes Editing attributes Copying and pasting attributes Deleting attributes Editing with default values and attribute domains About updating data using SQL Editing annotation Editing dimension features About editing dimension features Creating dimension features Modifying a dimension feature's geometry and style Using a digitizer About digitizing An overview of preparing to digitize Registering the paper map Digitizing features on a paper map Spatial adjustment An overview of spatial adjustment Adding the Spatial Adjustment toolbar Setting up the spatial adjustment Working with links Working with link files and control point files Previewing and performing the adjustment Transferring attributes between features Editing topology Editing relationships and related objects COGO

Tables and attribute information

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 An overview of writing geoprocessing scripts Getting started with writing geoprocessing scripts Accessing tools within a geoprocessing script Creating script tools Batch processing with geoprocessing scripts Data properties and access when scripting Working with AMLs Scripting object: Properties and Methods Geoprocessing environments An overview of geoprocessing environments Environment levels and hierarchy Script environments Specifying application environment settings Specifying tool environment settings Specifying model environment settings Specifying model process environment settings Environment categories 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 Sharing and connecting to UNC pathnames Accessing ArcSDE data in tools Techniques for sharing Python scripts Managing intermediate data in shared models Sharing stylesheets Checklist for sharing tools and toolboxes Geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server An overview of geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server Key concepts for geoprocessing services Guide to related geoprocessing with server topics Input and output data types Creating models for geoprocessing services Preparing map documents containing tool layers Defining output symbology for geoprocessing tasks Defining symbology for input feature sets Publishing geoprocessing services Managing the jobs directory Deploying services on multiple computers - LocalJobsDirectory Data access considerations for geoprocessing tasks Creating tasks for the UNIX/Linux environment Creating script tools for geoprocessing tasks Using geoprocessing tasks in Python scripts Spatial reference considerations for geoprocessing services Performance tips for geoprocessing services Checklist for authoring and publishing geoprocessing services Python scripts to zip and unzip data Geoprocessing service examples Keeping track of geoprocessing history An overview of geoprocessing history History log files Geoprocessing history in metadata Advanced modeling through simulations An overview of advanced modeling through simulations General concepts of modeling through simulations Developing the different modeling approaches

Geoprocessing tool reference

Geodatabases and ArcSDE

An overview of the geodatabase Architecture of a geodatabase Architecture of a geodatabase Geodatabase storage is based on relational principles Where does the application logic belong? The geodatabase is object-relational Geodatabase storage in relational databases Geodatabase transaction management Geodatabase XML 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 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 An overview of ArcSDE geodatabase administration What is ArcSDE? Administering ArcSDE for DB2 Administering ArcSDE for Informix Administering ArcSDE for Oracle Administering ArcSDE for PostgreSQL Administering ArcSDE for SQL Server Administering a database server Installing and upgrading the ArcSDE component 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 ST_Geometry storage using SQL Spatial relationships Spatial operations Geometry properties SQL implementation differences for the ST_Geometry type Using spatial types with SQL SQL functions reference

Data management with ArcCatalog

Image and raster data management

Understanding raster data Supported raster data Properties of raster data About raster dataset properties Raster pyramids Raster dataset statistics Raster compression About reduced resolution dataset files About auxiliary files About proxy files Defining a raster's coordinate system Raster dataset colormaps Bit depth capacity for raster dataset cells NoData in raster datasets World files for raster datasets Designing a raster database Building and managing a raster database How raster data is stored in a geodatabase Exploring geodatabase raster catalogs Creating raster datasets in a geodatabase Creating raster catalogs in a geodatabase Importing raster datasets Exporting or converting raster datasets Exporting raster catalogs Mosaicking raster datasets Persisting a transformation to a raster dataset without rectifying it Migrating your 8.x raster catalog Updating your geodatabase raster catalog footprints Loading large raster datasets into ArcSDE Transferring large raster datasets Building large raster datasets-case studies Raster data and disconnected editing Raster display and visualization Raster analysis and geoprocessing About analyzing raster data Making selections using the geodatabase raster catalog Raster conversion Core geoprocessing tools for raster data About environment settings for raster data Specifying raster storage environment settings Specifying raster analysis environment settings Specifying the snap raster environment setting Serving raster data Serving raster data

Data support in ArcGIS

An overview of data support in ArcGIS Data formats supported in ArcGIS CAD data The composition of a CAD drawing Working with CAD data in ArcGIS Displaying CAD features Georeferencing CAD data CAD feature attributes and queries CAD data translation Geoprocessing tools for CAD translation Common CAD data workflows Coverages NetCDF: multidimensional, time series data 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 Preparing for geocoding Building an address locator 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 Alternative searches The Alternate Name table tab The Alias Table dialog box Building an address locator for alternative searches Searching for an intersection Building a composite address locator 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

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

Interoperability and standards support

Customizing and developing with ArcGIS

An overview of customizing ArcGIS Customizing the user interface About customizing the user interface Basic user interface elements Hiding and showing toolbars Creating custom toolbars Changing a toolbar's or menu's contents Changing a command's appearance Creating shortcut keys Setting toolbar options Saving your customizations Writing macros using VBA Extending ArcGIS desktop applications About extending 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 North America World Europe Mexico Elevation and image data Working with StreetMap data Getting started with StreetMap Geocoding addresses with StreetMap North America data Finding a route using StreetMap North America data

Licensing and desktop administration

GIS Servers and services