KH 4513 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

Geodatabase

Assoc. Prof. Sr. Dr. Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud

Department of Civil Engineering
Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
 Introduction to Geodatabase • Objects contained in a
◦ What is a Geodatabase? Geodatabas
◦ Geodatabase Advantages – Feature classes
◦ Geodatabase types – Feature Datasets
 Personal – Relationship classes
 File – Dimensions and Annotation
 Enterprise – Tables
◦ How to create a
– Geodatabase rules
Geodatabase
 How to add files
 How to create feature
classes
 According to Wikipedia “a Geodatabase is a database with
extensions for storing, querying and manipulation geographic
information and spatial data”
 Stores, queries and manipulates geographic information and
spatial data
 ESRI popularized the term “Geodatabase ” with the release of
its ArcGIS 8 software.
 Contains datasets with feature classes
 GIS data is stored within a Geodatabase as a collection of
tables, indexes and relationships between these entities
 Geodatabase are stored in relational database management
systems such as Access, SQL Server, Oracle and others
 GIS data was stored in a variety of flat file formats;
◦ Shapefiles
◦ Coverages
 Geodatabases provide a number of advantages over flat file
formats
◦ Centralized Management od Data
◦ Stores large datasets and Multiple feature classes
◦ Multi-user editing, viewing and querying of datasets
◦ Multi-version edit sessions
◦ Seamless storage of large datasets
◦ Advanced querying power
◦ Centralized management of data
◦ Application of behavior rules
 Geodatabase come in three flavors

1) Personal Geodatabase
 Data is stored in a Microsoft Access database
 Data can only be edited by a single user at a time
 Data can be read by many users simultaneously
2) File Geodatabase
 Stored as folders in a file system
 Each dataset stored in a file that can be as a large as 1 TB
 Single editor
 Recommended over personal Geodatabases due to sizing
3) Enterprise Geodatabase
 Data is stored in an enterprise relational database management
system such as Oracle or SQL Server
 Allows for multiple, simultaneous edit sessions
 Allows for centralized storage and management of geographic data
 File and personal Geodatabase created by:
◦ Right clicking a workspace (directory)
◦ Select New → Personal Geodatabase or File Geodatabase
 File Geodatabase have a *.gdb extension
 Personal Geodatabase have a *.mdb extension
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 There are many new terms that you must become familiar
with when dealing with Geodatabases;
◦ Feature Datasets
◦ Feature Classes
◦ Relationship Classes
◦ Dimensions and Annotation
◦ Tables
◦ Geodatabase rules
 Feature Dataset
◦ Containers of objects
 feature Classes, Geometric Networks and
Topologies that are contained within the
Feature Dataset
◦ Enforce a spatial reference

 Feature Class
◦ Geographically enabled table
◦ Special shape field that contains the geometric
definition for each feature
◦ Point, Line & Polygon
◦ Feature class also contains other attribute
fields
 Define relationships between Tables and Feature Classes
◦ Similar to joins or relates but more powerful
 Relationship Classes allow you to doo more advanced
functions such as data editing
 Must be in the same Geodatabases
 Number of properties
◦ Names of origin and destination tables
◦ Names of key fields used to link the tables
◦ Relationship (one to one, one to many, etc)
 Two types of relationships
◦ Simple
 Used when classes need to access one another's attributes
◦ Composite
 Parent controls the existence of the child
• Annotation Feature Classes used for storing text features
– These text features are stored in the Geodatabase
– Labels are drawn on the fly and are NOT stored in the Geodatabase
– Locations are fixed
– Two types
• Standards
• Placed in any location on the map
• Feature linked
– Moves with the feature
– Deleted when associated feature is deleted
– Changes automatically when the attribute is changed
• Dimension feature Classes
– Special annotation used for displaying measurements
– Symbols used to display measurements can be customized as well as the text and
units of measure
• Standard non-spatial tables containing columns and rows
– Each row represents a single object
– Name of Customer
– Each column represents an attribute of that object
– The customer’s name, address, telephone number etc
• You can define a number of behaviors for a table
– Default attribute values
• Used to assign a defaults value for a column in cases where a value is
not specifically assigned
– Attribute domains
• Used to limit the choices available for a particular column
– Row subtypes
• Rows may be grouped into subtypes based on an attribute
• A Geodatabase can implement rules
– Attribute Defaults
– These are the default value assigned to a field
– Attribute Domains
• Coded value
– A set of values that can be assigned to a field (expl: landuse type, classification)
• Range
– A range of values that can be assigned to a field (expl : age range : 0-100 years)
– Connectivity Rules
– Used to specify the legal connections between edge and junction features in a geometric
network
– Relationship Rules
– Rules defined between origin and destination objects
– Topology Rules
– Used to define the spatial relationships between features within a feature class or between
feature classes
Thank you