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ArcGIS Desktop is the primary platform for GIS professionals to compile, use, and manage geographic information. It is a family of three products—ArcInfo, ArcEditor, and ArcView—that share the same core applications, user interface, and development environment. Each product provides additional GIS functionality as you move from ArcView to ArcEditor to ArcInfo. Optional ArcGIS Desktop extensions offer specialized tools and additional capabilities to enhance your system. Developers may also customize and extend the capabilities of ArcGIS Desktop using .NET, Visual C++, and Visual Basic.
The architecture diagram below illustrates how the participating software components are divided into logical layers and physical tiers. Please reference Esri's GIS Dictionary to learn about specific software components and terminology.
