Note: This topic was updated for 9.3.1.
Exporting data allows you to share data across multiple geodatabases and optionally change the format of the data.
There are several ways to export data using ArcMap and ArcCatalog:
Using the context-sensitive menu in ArcCatalog
Using geoprocessing tools
Using the Extract Data Wizard in ArcMap
Using the Export Data command in ArcMap
Exporting data using the context-sensitive menu or through geoprocessing employs the Conversion tools in ArcToolbox. Refer to the Conversion toolbox help for information regarding these tools and their parameters.