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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

Using this Help system

Getting help within the applications

ArcGIS Desktop Resource Center

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
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

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

Adding layers to a map

Adding a layer package to your 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

Setting HTML pop-up properties for feature layers
Navigating and interacting with maps
Adding graphics and text to maps
Symbolizing data
Applying symbology
Styles and symbols
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
Getting started with representations
Representation concepts
Working with representations
Editing feature representations
Page layout and map composition
Getting started with laying out and printing maps
Map elements
Grids and graticules
Rulers and guides
Working with data frames in layout view
Creating interactive and paperless maps
Map output
Map series
Designing maps for optimal performance
Working with graphs and reports
Looking at data with graphs
(Pre-ArcGIS 9.2) Looking at data with graphs
Creating reports
Working with web maps in ArcGIS

An overview of GIS Web map layers

Working with ArcGIS Server in ArcGIS Desktop
Using services from ArcGIS Server
Using services from ArcIMS
Using OGC Services
Using KML
Using ArcGIS Online
Using image service layers
Working with service layers in the table of contents
Printing and exporting maps containing service layers
Publishing optimized map services in ArcGIS
Editing and data compilation
Tables and attribute information
Understanding tables and attribute information

An overview of tables and attribute information

About tabular data sources

Common tables and attributes tasks

Keyboard shortcuts for working with tables
Creating tables and managing attribute information
Displaying 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

An introduction to the fundamental tools

Overlay analysis

Proximity analysis

Table analysis and management

Surface creation and analysis

Statistical analysis

Extracting data
Using geoprocessing tools
Automating your work with models

An overview of models

Opening ModelBuilder

Creating a simple model

Saving a model
Model concepts and terms
Using ModelBuilder
Controlling the flow of processing
Model Iteration
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
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
Geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server
Keeping track of geoprocessing history

An overview of geoprocessing history

History log files

Geoprocessing history in metadata
Advanced modeling through simulations
Geoprocessing tool reference
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
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
Administering ArcSDE geodatabases
Administering File and Personal geodatabases
Working with geodatabases using SQL
Data management with ArcCatalog

An overview of ArcCatalog

About workspaces
Getting started with ArcCatalog
Building the Catalog
Managing the Catalog's contents
Exploring an item's geography
Searching for items

About search results

Finding items using the Search tool

Searching with geographic criteria

Searching with temporal criteria

Searching with keywords

Working with search results
Working with metadata
Image and raster data management
Understanding raster data

What is raster data?

Raster bands

Cell size of raster data

Representing features in a raster dataset

Discrete and continuous data

Raster dataset zones and regions

Raster dataset attribute tables

Raster data organization

Gathering basic raster dataset information
Supported raster data
Properties of raster data
Designing a raster database
Building and managing a raster database
Raster display and visualization
Raster analysis and geoprocessing
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

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
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

An overview of creating and editing event data

Creating event tables in ArcCatalog

About locating features along routes

Locating features along routes

Editing event tables in ArcMap
Working with route event data

An overview of working with route event data

About overlaying event data

Overlaying events

About aggregating event data

Aggregating route events

About transforming event measures

Transforming event measures

Accessing the Route Events Geoprocessing wizard
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

An overview of customizing ArcGIS
Customizing the user interface
Writing macros using VBA
Extending ArcGIS desktop applications
Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS
Licensing and desktop administration
GIS Servers and services

An overview of GIS servers used with ArcGIS
Using ArcIMS with ArcGIS Desktop
Using ArcGIS Server with ArcGIS Desktop
Authoring and publishing services for ArcGIS Server

An overview of authoring and publishing services

Data access considerations for ArcGIS Server

Publishing resources
Administering ArcGIS Server with ArcCatalog
Creating and publishing web maps for ArcGIS Server

An overview of Web GIS

A framework for deploying Web GIS

Web GIS concepts for GIS users

Types of GIS map applications

Steps for implementing GIS map applications

How to build online base maps

Building operational map layers

Managing the performance of GIS mapping services

Distributing maps, globes, and layers on the Web