Geodatabases, Subtypes and

Domains

Bamweyana Ivan
LSG 2102
Geodatabase
• Many Definitions

1. Scalable container housing a collection of

geographic datasets.

2. Native data storage and data management framework

for ArcGIS

3. An organizational tool to store and manage your data,

and is also the gateway into advanced GIS capabilities
 Geodatabase
• Geodatabases store both geospatial and attribute data in the

same structure

• Support all of the different types of data that can be used by

ArcGIS- vector, raster, coverage, name it!

• There is a complete set of conversion tools available so you

can easily migrate existing geospatial data into the

geodatabase.
Geodatabase Elements
• Fundamental ArcGIS datasets are tables, feature classes,
and rasters.
• More complex datasets, such as topologies and geometric
networks
• The geodatabase can also add advanced capabilities to
these datasets and model behavior. E.g.,
 Data validation using domains and subtypes,
 Multiuser editing environment through versioning,
 Topologies to enforce the integrity of your spatial data,
 Networks to model and analyze flows,
 Terrains for modeling surfaces and Lidar data management,
 Distributed geodatabase replication,
 Managing historical archives of your data
…
 Geodatabase – Data model
• The geodatabase consists of “Datasets”
• Datasets contain geographic information
• Types of geographic datasets:
 Tables
 feature classes, relationship classes
 Feature datasets
 Raster datasets
 Survey datasets
 coverages
…
Geodatabase Posibilities
Feature, Feature class, feature Dataset
• A “feature” is a spatial object e.g.? River, school, building,
etc.
• A feature class is a collection of geographic features e.g.
Rivers , schools, towns, etc
• A feature dataset is a collection of feature classes stored
together that share
• the same spatial reference (coordinate system),
• their features fall within a common geographic area.
• Feature datasets are used to help model spatial
relationships between feature classes
Features and Feature classes
• A collection of geographic features with the same

• geometry type (i.e., point, line, or polygon),

• the same attributes types,

• and the same spatial reference.

• Feature classes allow homogeneous features to be grouped

into a single unit for data storage purposes, for example,
highways, primary roads, and secondary roads can be grouped
into a line feature class named "roads”.
• Feature classes can also store annotation (short notes or
instructions) and dimensions (attributes)
Features and Feature classes
Geodatabase
• The geodatabase is the common data storage and

management framework for ArcGIS. It combines "geo"

(spatial data) with "database" (data repository) to create a
central data repository for spatial data storage and
management.

• Can be leveraged in desktop, server, or mobile

environments and allows you to store GIS data in a central

location for easy access and management.
Why Geodatabase?
• Store a rich collection of spatial data in a centralized
location.
• Apply sophisticated rules and relationships to the data.
• Define advanced geospatial relational models (e.g.,
topologies, networks).
• Maintain integrity of spatial data with a consistent,
accurate database.
• Work within a multiuser access and editing environment.
• Integrate spatial data with other IT databases.
• Easily scale your storage solution.
• Support custom features and behavior.
• Leverage your spatial data to its full potential.
• …
Types of Geodatabases
• 3 types: Personal, File and ArcSDE
1. Personal Geodatabase
 Were designed for a single user working with smaller datasets.
 Limited in size to 2GB for the entire geodatabase
 Data is stored and managed in Microsoft Access, which ties them
to the windows platform.
 Have the ability to manage the tabular data using Access
 The extension for the personal geodatabase is .mdb
2. File Geodatabases
• Store datasets in a file system folder and are portable
across operating systems.
• Suitable for single user projects and small workgroups
with one editor and multiple readers.
• Possible to have multiple editors with a file geodatabase,
provided they aren’t editing the same feature datasets,
feature classes or tables.
• Has been optimized for use in ArcGIS so it provides very
fast data use and storage
• Can scale to over 1 terabyte in size for each dataset.
• Allows to optionally compress your vector data, reducing
the memory footprint used by its storage without
affecting performance.
• The extension for the file geodatabase is .gdb
 3. ArcSDE/Enterprise Geodatabases
• Manage spatial data within a RDBMS such as DB2, Informix,
Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL and SQL Server Express.
• Offers a multi-user editing environment and can manage
extremely large datasets through this architecture.
• ArcSDE Geodatabases also support version-based
workflows such as geodatabase replication and archiving that
are not supported with file and personal Geodatabases.
• Suitable for organizations requiring the full suite of
geodatabase functionality and a geodatabase with the
capacity for extremely large, continuous GIS datasets that
can be edited and accessed by many users
• The extension for the ArcSDE geodatabase is .sde
 Geodatabases

Checkout/check-in replication: involves copying data to a

destination geodatabase, editing that data in the destination, and then merging
the changes with the source geodatabase
Replication and Versioning
• Checkout/check-in replication: involves copying data to a
destination geodatabase, editing that data in the destination,
and then merging the changes with the source geodatabase

• Versioning is the mechanism that enables concurrent

multiuser geodatabase editing in ArcSDE geodatabases. It
uses an optimistic concurrency data-locking model, which
means no locks are applied to affected features and rows
during long transactions. It is the default editing environment
in enterprise ArcSDE geodatabases and supports complex
editing workflows that are required by enterprise GIS
systems.
• Versioning records and manages states of individual
features and rows as they are edited while preserving
integrity in the database. It is the basis for multiple users
accessing and editing data simultaneously in enterprise
ArcSDE geodatabases.
Geodatabase
Geodatabase Subtypes
• Subtypes are used to categorize data
• Define classes or groups in large datasets
• By defining
• default values
• code and value domains
• Range domains
• declare a subset of features in a feature class or
• declare a subset of objects in a table
• e.g.: Street
• Freeway
• Main road
• Paved road
• Gravel road
Geodatabase Subtypes
• Subtypes are used to categorize data
• Define classes or groups in large datasets

• Use subtypes
• When trying to distinguish objects by their default value,
attribute domains, various rules

• declare a subset of features in a feature class or

• declare a subset of objects in a table
• e.g.: Street
• Freeway
• Main road
• Paved road
• Gravel road
Subtypes
• Feature classes or objects contain subtypes
• A feature’s subtype is determined by its subtype code
value
• The subtype code is stored in an integer field in the
feature class or table

• Each subtype can have own set of default values and

attribute domains for a given field
Creating Subtypes
• Add a Field for subtype using Integer
• Use subtype tab on the feature property
Deleting Subtypes
• Use Subtype tab in
the feature property
• Select subtype in
the list and click
Delete key
• You cannot delete a
subtype if it is
currently referenced
by a topology rule:
close ArcMap
 Domains
• Attribute domains define rules for defining valid values for
attribution in columns.
• These are used for maintaining data integrity
• They are defined globally in a geodatabase and may be
used for
• Feature classes
• Tables and
• Subtypes
• Supported data-types
• Short :: Short integers
• Long :: Long integers
• Float :: Single-precision floating point numbers
• Double :: Double-precision floating point numbers
• Text (Coded domains only) :: Alphanumeric characters
• Date :: Date and time data
 Data types for file and personal Geo-
databases.
Data type Storable range Size (bytes) Applications
Short integer -32,768 to 32,767 2 Numeric values
without fractional
values within
specific range;
coded values
Long integer -2,147,483,648 to 4 Numeric values
2,147,483,647 without fractional
values within
specific range
Single-precision Approximately - 4 Numeric values
floating-point 3.4E38 to 1.2E38 with fractional
number (float) values within
specific range
Double-precision Approximately - 8 Numeric values
floating-point 2.2E308 to with fractional
number (double) 1.8E308 values within
specific range
 Data types for ArcSDE

Precision (field Scale (decimal

Range Data type length) places)
0 to 99 Short integer 2 0
-99 to 99* Short integer 3 0
0 to 99,999 Long integer 5 0
-99,999 to 99,999* Long integer 6 0
0.001 to 0.999 Float 4 3
1,000.00 to Float 6 2
9,999.99
-123,456.78 to 0* Double 9 2
0 to 1,234.56789 Double 9 5

*Negative numbers require additional precision to store the negative

sign.
Domain Types- Range domain
• Two different types of attribute domains
• Range domain specifies a valid range of values
for a numeric attribute
• May be used on data types
• Short-integer, long-integer, float, double and date attribute types.

• Validation in ArcMap: After editing, run Editor/Validation

to validate features that have a range domain
• After running Validate Features, the features with errors
remain selected
Domain Types
• Coded value domain are explicit lists of
acceptable values and can apply to any type of
attribute
• Coded Value Domains
• Define valid set for attribute variables
• May be used on data-types
• text, numeric, date, …

 Attribute domains
don’t have a property
that allows or
disallows null values
in an associated field:
treat null as valid
value
 Attribute Domains
• coded value
domains provide a
list of valid attribute
values when you
are editing inside
the Attribute Editor.
• Range domains
ensure the your
edited attributes fall
within a specified
range of values
Domains Policies
Example of a splitting •
Example of Merging •
Versioning and Replication
• Database versioning
http://edndoc.esri.com/arcsde/9.1/general_topics/what_ve
rsioned_dbase.htm
• Replication
http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/database-
replication
• Replication types
http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisserver/9.3/java/index.htm#g
eodatabases/replication_types.htm
• Database archiving