What's new for geodatabases in ArcGIS 10.1

ArcGIS 10.1 greatly improves your experience working with enterprise geodatabases and the data they contain. Version 10.1 provides new tools to work with feature classes, geometric networks, topologies, and query layers, plus some existing geodatabase functionality and tools have been improved, such as the Database Connections and Privileges dialog boxes.

All of this, plus numerous other enhancements, is described in the following sections:

Connections from ArcGIS

Improved enterprise geodatabase connections

At ArcGIS 10.1, the Database Connections dialog box has been simplified to require less input to make a connection, and functionality has been expanded to allow you to connect to any supported database, even if it does not contain an enterprise geodatabase.

Choose the database you want to connect to, then provide connection information. The following is an example of connecting to a PostgreSQL database:

Access this dialog box from the Database Connections node (formerly the Spatial Database Connections node) in the Catalog tree. For more information on database connections, see Database connections in ArcGIS for Desktop. Note that existing spatial database connection files will continue to work in ArcGIS 10.1.

Administrators can create a connection file that contains the necessary information and share it with other users. See Preconfiguring connection files for more information.

In addition, the new Create Database Connection geoprocessing tool allows you to create database and geodatabase connections. It takes the same inputs as the Database Connections dialog box, plus lets you define the version to use when connecting to a geodatabase. This tool can be found in the Workspaces toolset of the Database Administration toolbox.

If you want to create a connection using an ArcSDE service, use the Create ArcSDE Connection File geoprocessing tool.

Because you can now connect to databases from the Database Connections dialog box or Create Database Connection tool, the Add OLE DB Connection dialog box has been removed from the Catalog tree, but can be re-added by customizing ArcCatalog.

Update password on connection

If your database password is set to expire, ArcGIS 10.1 will intercept the warning or error returned from the database and provide you with a dialog box allowing you to create a new password.

Update license key on connection

If you have an Esri Developer Network or Educational Site License, your software license keys must be updated periodically. License information is stored in enterprise and workgroup geodatabases. Therefore, when your license expires, you must also update the license in your geodatabases. At ArcGIS 10.1, when the geodatabase administrator connects to a geodatabase that contains an expired license, a dialog box is returned to allow the geodatabase administrator to specify a current ArcGIS for Server license.

Create an enterprise geodatabase

If you need the advanced capabilities of the geodatabase, you can enable that functionality in your IBM DB2, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL database directly from ArcGIS.

At ArcGIS 10.1, geodatabase administrators can create an enterprise geodatabase in a supported database management system using one of the following:

• The Enable Geodatabase database connection context menu item, which opens the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool
• The Enable Enterprise Geodatabase geoprocessing tool, which adds a geodatabase to an existing database and authorizes it
• The Create Enterprise Geodatabase geoprocessing tool, which can create both the database and geodatabase in PostgreSQL or SQL Server and allows you to create a geodatabase and specify certain storage information in Oracle
• A Python script to create a geodatabase or enable geodatabase functionality in an existing database

Connect from the tool or script to the DBMS and log in as a user with the required privileges to create or enable a geodatabase. See one of the following topics for more information:

Creating an enterprise geodatabaseEnabling geodatabase functionality in an existing database

Note:

At ArcGIS 10.1, there is no ArcSDE Post Installation wizard, and the installation operation is no longer supported with the sdesetup command.

Enterprise geodatabases are supported in 64-bit database management systems

As mentioned in What's new in ArcGIS 10.1 for Server, ArcGIS for Server is now a 64-bit applicatiion. ArcSDE and enterprise geodatabases are part of ArcGIS for Server and, at 10.1, support only 64-bit databases. See the topics in the Relational Database Management Systems section of the ArcGIS 10.1 System Requirements for supported databases and operating systems.

New ArcGIS tools to administer enterprise geodatabases

There are several new geoprocessing tools available in the Geodatabase Administration toolset (formerly the Database toolset) to facilitate the creation and administration of enterprise geodatabases. Two of those were mentioned in the previous section. Additionally, the new Geodatabase Administration dialog box provides geodatabase administrators with the ability to monitor and manage user connections, locks, and versions. All this new functionality is described below:

Manage versions using the redesigned Version Manager

The redesigned Version Manager has been moved into the Geodatabase Administration dialog box and includes the following new features:

• A tree view that lets you see how versions are related
• The ability to filter for a specific transactional or historical version, versions that could prevent the DEFAULT version from compressing to state 0, or versions owned by a specific user
• The ability to see all the properties of a selected version without having to open a separate dialog box
• A list recommending the order in which versions should be reconciled

The recommended reconcile order list is only available to the geodatabase administrator, but all other functionality is available to nonadministrator users.

View and remove connections from a geodatabase

Geodatabase administrators can see which clients are connected to an enterprise geodatabase and remove connections from the geodatabase using the Connections tab of the Geodatabase Administration dialog box.

See the topic appropriate to your database for information on removing user connections:

Removing connections from a geodatabase in DB2Removing connections from a geodatabase in InformixRemoving connections from a geodatabase in OracleRemoving connections from a geodatabase in PostgreSQLRemoving connections from a geodatabase in SQL Server

If you want to script this functionality, you can use the ListUsers and DisconnectUser functions.

View and manage locks on a geodatabase

While accessing and editing data, the geodatabase uses several different types of locks to ensure the consistency of the structure of your data. Three types of locks are used by the geodatabase: schema, state, and version. These locks can be shared, meaning other users can hold shared locks at the same time but exclusive locks are not possible, and some are exclusive, meaning no additional locks are possible on that database object.

Beginning with 10.1, you can view what type of locks are being held on data in an enterprise geodatabase and who is holding the lock. This is done through the Locks tab of the Geodatabase Administration dialog box.

When the Locks tab is opened at the geodatabase level by the geodatabase administrator, all session, version, and object locks are shown for the data and versions in the geodatabase. These can be filtered by lock type, the session holding the lock (lock owner), or the name of the object being locked.

Administrators can disconnect the user, thereby clearing the locks, by right-clicking a record in the list of locks and clicking Disconnect User.

Block new connections to a geodatabase

Geodatabase administrators can use a new option on the Database Properties dialog box to prevent new connections (both ArcSDE services and direct connections) from being made to an enterprise geodatabase.

Unchecking the Geodatabase is accepting connections box on the Connections tab of the Database Properties dialog box prevents new connections from being made to the geodatabase. Existing connections remain.

If you want to script this functionality, use the AcceptConnections function.

Rebuild indexes on geodatabase system tables in versioned geodatabases

Geodatabase administrators can rebuild indexes on the states, state_lineages, and mv_tables_modified geodatabase system tables using the Rebuild Indexes geoprocessing tool or a Python script. These three system tables can change significantly in a versioned geodatabase that is edited frequently and indexes might need to be rebuilt. See Using the Rebuild Indexes tool on system tables and Rebuilding indexes on geodatabase system tables using a script for more information.

Update statistics on geodatabase system tables

Geodatabase administrators can update statistics on the geodatabase system tables using the new Analyze Datasets geoprocessing tool or a Python script. See Using the Analyze Datasets tool to update statistics on geodatabase system tables and Updating statistics on geodatabase system tables using a script for more information.

Create database users and roles

Two new geoprocessing tools are available to help you manage users in your database or enterprise geodatabase: Create Database User and Create Role.

The Create Database User geoprocessing tool lets you add a user to a database in Oracle, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server. The user that gets created is automatically granted the privileges required to create objects in the database. If a database role already exists to which you want to add this user, you can do that at the time of user creation.

In PostgreSQL, the login role is created in the database cluster and a corresponding schema is created in the specified database.

In SQL Server, a login is added to the SQL Server instance, a user is created in the specified database, a corresponding schema is created in the database, and the specified database is set as the user's default database. If an operating system or network login already exists in the SQL Server instance, you can use the Create Database User tool to add that login to the database you specify and create a schema for it.

In Oracle, the user is created in the Oracle database. if an operating system or network login already exists with that name, you can use the Create Database User to create a database user to which that login gets mapped in the specified Oracle database.

The Create Role geoprocessing tool lets you create a database role in Oracle, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server. With the same tool, you can add a user or list of users to or remove a user or list of users from a database role.

Both the Create Database User and Create Role tools can be opened from the database context menu.

Recover data from a file geodatabase

The new Recover File Geodatabase geoprocessing tool lets you recover simple feature classes and tables from a file geodatabase that has been corrupted and cannot be opened.

This tool can be found in the File Geodatabase toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

New tools to export and import the contents of a geodatabase

You can use the Export XML Workspace Document geoprocessing tool to create an XML document that defines the schema of an existing geodatabase, then use the Import XML Workspace Document tool to import the schema to an empty geodatabase. This is useful if you want to create a template geodatabase schema or want to share your schema with others.

Tools for managing data

There are many new tools available at 10.1 to help you manage your data. These include the Locks tab of the Geodatabase Administration dialog box, which can be used to view locks held on data and versions; and new geoprocessing tools to rebuild indexes and update database statistics on multiple datasets. You can also create and manage geometric networks, export topology errors, enable or disable editor tracking on a table or feature class, create versioned views, and create database views.

Several existing tools were improved at 10.1: the Privileges dialog box now provides more information and is easier to use; the Register with Geodatabase command is expanded to register tables with both ArcSDE and the geodatabase; replica logging is improved to allow you to choose the name of the log, the location where it is created, and the amount of information that is written to the log; and the Domains tab on the Database Properties dialog box now displays the owner of the domain.

View and manage privileges on datasets

The Privileges dialog box has been improved to allow you to see what privileges users and roles have been granted on your data and, in most cases, lets you choose from a list those users and roles to which you want to grant privileges.

A list of all users or roles that currently have privileges on the specific dataset are shown on the Privileges dialog box. You can grant privileges to a new user or role by clicking Add and typing or (if you have sufficient privileges in the database) choosing the user or role name. In this example, two login roles are being chosen from a PostgreSQL database to grant privileges to them.

If the data is in a database or a geodatabase and is not versioned, you can independently grant or revoke insert, update, and delete privileges.

See Granting and revoking privileges on datasets for more information.

View locks on a version or specific dataset

Data or version owners can open the Locks tab of the Geodatabase Administration dialog box at the dataset or version level. When they do this, only locks held on that specific object are shown. In this example, the owner of the feature class checks to see whether any locks are held on the Fittings feature class. Because the Locks tab was opened from the Fittings feature class, the Object Name filter is automatically set to the Fittings feature class.

See Viewing dataset or version locks for more information.

Rebuild indexes on multiple datasets using the Rebuild Indexes geoprocessing tool

A new geoprocessing tool is available at 10.1 that allows you to rebuild indexes on multiple datasets that you own in an enterprise geodatabase. You can choose to rebuild only the indexes that are on the delta tables of versioned datasets or rebuild all the indexes on a dataset.

Indexes should be rebuilt after you have inserted a large number of records to or deleted a large number of records from a dataset. This helps improve query performance.

You can open the Rebuild Indexes geoprocessing tool from the Geodatabase Administration toolset in the Data Management toolbox.

Spatial index creation experience improved

In previous ArcGIS releases, you could not create or drop a spatial index on feature classes that used the SQL Server geometry or geography storage types. At 10.1, the Indexes tab of the Feature Class Properties dialog box has been altered to allow you to do so. The Indexes tab of the Feature Class Properties dialog box has also been altered to calculate the grid sizes of spatial grid index automatically; you do not have to input grid sizes in this dialog box. See Modifying a spatial index for more information.

Update database statistics on multiple datasets using the Analyze Datasets geoprocessing tool

A new geoprocessing tool is available at 10.1 that allows you to update the statistics on multiple datasets that you own in an enterprise geodatabase. You can choose to analyze the base tables, delta tables, or history table of a dataset or analyze all these tables to update their statistics.

It is important to keep database statistics up-to-date so the database can execute queries in the most efficient manner. You should update dataset statistics after you have inserted a large number of records to or deleted a large number of records from a dataset or after you compress your geodatabase.

You can open the Analyze Datasets geoprocessing tool directly from the Geodatabase Administration toolset in the Data Management toolbox. Alternatively, you can analyze an individual table or feature class by right-clicking it under the database connection in the Catalog tree, pointing to Manage, and clicking Analyze.

Store information about edits and manage feature access through feature services

New functionality is available to let you store information about when a row or feature is added to or edited in your table or feature class. You can enable editor tracking on a table or feature class and ArcGIS will record information on who created a record and when and who last edited a record and when in date fields that you specify.

Editor tracking is enabled in ArcGIS for Desktop using the Catalog window Enable Editor Tracking context menu command or with the Enable Editor Tracking geoprocessing tool, which can be found in the Fields toolset of the Data Management toolbox. Once fields are defined, information is automatically recorded in these fields anytime the data is edited.

You can use the owner information fields to control what sort of access nonowners have to individual features by enabling ownership-based access control on a feature service. For example, you can set the feature service to allow query, create, update, and delete operations. To make sure only feature owners can perform these operations on their own features, you enable ownership-based access control and restrict nonowners to just query access.

Register a spatial table in one step

If you own a spatial table that was created by client applications other than ArcGIS, you can now register that table as a feature class from the Catalog tree.

See Registering a table with the geodatabase for more information.

Rename fields

You can change field names in your 10.1 geodatabase tables. To do so, open the Table or Feature Class Properties dialog box, click the Fields tab, click on the existing text of the field you want to rename, then type a new name.

Field names must be unique within a table, must start with a letter, cannot contain spaces or database reserved words, and are limited to 31 characters (30 in Oracle and DB2 databases). You cannot rename ObjectID or Shape fields created through ArcGIS. Fields in 9.3.x or prior release geodatabases cannot be renamed.

New tools and settings are available to work with geometric networks

At ArcGIS 10.1, settings that you make to the Utility Network Analyst toolbar persist in map documents. This means that you can set up your network tracing, save the map document, and when it's opened next, the settings from when you last saved are present.

Also new for geometric networks at 10.1 are the following six geoprocessing tools:

• Create Geometric Network
• Add Edge-Edge Connectivity Rule To Geometric Network
• Add Edge-Junction Connectivity Rule To Geometric Network
• Remove Connectivity Rule From Geometric Network
• Remove Empty Feature Class From Geometric Network
• Trace Geometric Network
• Set Flow Direction

All these tools can be found in the Geometric Network toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

Having this functionality in the form of geoprocessing tools allows you to include them as part of an overall geoprocessing model to manage your geometric networks.

New logging options for replication

Whenever a replica creation or synchronization process is performed, information is recorded in the replica activity log. Until 10.1, the log was called ReplicaLog.dat and was found in the temp directory as defined by the temp environment variable. You can now choose the path and name of this log. You can also choose between five levels of detail to record. You make these settings on the Distributed Geodatabase Options dialog box, accessible from the ArcMap Distributed Geodatabase toolbar. See The replica activity log for more information.

New functionality for topologies

In ArcGIS 10.1, you can alter versioned topologies without having to unversion the feature dataset.

In previous releases of ArcGIS, you had to unversion a feature dataset before you could make any changes to a topology or its rules. Beginning with ArcGIS 10.1, you can make the following changes to a topology without having to unregister it:

• Change the cluster tolerance.
• Add a feature class to or remove one from the topology.
• Add or remove a topology rule.
• Change the rank of a feature class.

With the exception of removing a topology rule, which simply removes all errors and exceptions related to the rule, performing any of these changes results in a dirty area and the topology must be revalidated.

Also at 10.1, a new geoprocessing tool—Export Topology Errors—is available that allows you to export a topology's error and exception information to three feature classes, one for each supported geometry type of topology errors. You can grant access to the three feature classes to users who don't have access to the topology itself, allowing them to view the topology error information.

The Export Topology Errors tool can be found in the Topology toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

Manage properties of an archive class

At 10.1, you can rename an archive class and manage the indexes that are created on it. See Working directly with the archive class for more information.

New toolset and tools for working with geodatabase attachments

The new Attachments toolset contains the following tools to simplify the process of attaching batches of related, nongeographic information to your feature classes:

• Enable Attachments
• Add Attachments
• Remove Attachments
• Disable Attachments
• Generate Attachment Match Table

New tool to create query layers

You can use the new Make Query Layer geoprocessing tool to define a query layer against one or more tables in a database or geodatabase. This tool is useful if you need to create a query layer as part of a model or in a Python script.

This tool can be found in the Layers and Table Views toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

Versioned views are created automatically or can be created manually from ArcGIS

When you register a feature class as versioned from ArcGIS 10.1, a versioned view is automatically created on the feature class. When you version a feature dataset, a versioned view is created for each feature class in the feature dataset.

To create a versioned view on a feature class or feature dataset that was versioned prior to ArcGIS 10.1 or re-create an existing versioned view, use the Create Versioned View context menu command, geoprocessing tool, or a Python script.

Versioned views allow you to view and edit versioned data, including the data in the delta tables, using SQL. See What are versioned views and its related topics for more information.

Edit the DEFAULT version through a versioned view using SQL without opening an edit session

If the edits you make with SQL through a versioned view are short in duration and you want other users to have access to the edits right away, you can edit the DEFAULT version.

This is a new editing model for versioned views; you do not explicitly open an edit session and you must frequently commit your edits to the database so you don't block other users access to the data. See A quick tour of editing versioned data using SQL for an explanation of this new editing model and how it can be used.

Create a database view from ArcGIS for Desktop

You can create views on tables or feature classes in a database or geodatabase by right-clicking a database connection or a geodatabase under the Database Connections or Database Servers node in the Catalog tree, pointing to New, then clicking View. On the dialog box that opens, provide a name for the view and construct an SQL query to define it. See Creating a database view in ArcGIS for Desktop for more information.

There is also a new geoprocessing tool for creating database views: the Create Database View tool. You can use this tool or a Python script to define views in your database or enterprise geodatabase.

New functionality for managing domains

View the owner of a domain

The Domains tab of the Database Properties dialog box now shows the owner of the domain in enterprise geodatabases. Right-click the database connection, click Properties, then click the Domains tab to see this.

Rename attribute domains

In ArcGIS 10.1, you can change the name of existing attribute domains. To do so, click on the text in the Domain Name column and type a new domain. If the domain is used with a subtype, the domain name will be updated automatically on the Subtypes tab of the Feature Class Properties dialog box.

New tool to sort domains

The Sort Coded Value Domain geoprocessing tool lets you sort the code or description of a coded value domain in either ascending or descending order.

This tool can be found in the Domains toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

New tool to upgrade datasets

The Upgrade Dataset tool in the Geodatabase Administration toolset lets you upgrade mosaic datasets, parcel fabrics, and network datasets to the current ArcGIS release.

This tool replaces the Upgrade Network and Upgrade Parcel fabric tools, giving you one tool to use to upgrade these datasets as well as mosaic datasets.

New tool to delete all rows from a table

The TruncateTable geoprocessing tool in the Tables toolset can be used to delete all rows from a table or feature class.

You should use the Truncate Table tool instead of the Delete Rows tool when you want to delete all rows from a table or feature class.

New rules for data creation in user-schema geodatabases

If you have a geodatabase in Oracle, you have the option to allow other database users to create their own geodatabases. These are called user-schema geodatabases. Beginning with ArcGIS 10.1, the following new rules apply when creating data in an Oracle instance that contains user-schema geodatabases:

• Owners of a user-schema geodatabase can own data only in that geodatabase; they cannot own data in the master sde geodatabase nor another user's schema geodatabase.
• Users who do not own a user-schema geodatabase can only own data in the master sde geodatabase; they cannot own data in another user's schema geodatabase.
• For backwards compatibility purposes, if you have an existing, upgraded user-schema geodatabase that contains data owned by a user other than the geodatabase owner, that user's data is still accessible and the user can continue to create data in that geodatabase.

Interrelease compatibility support

Backward compatibility of the geodatabase—that is the ability of newer releases of ArcGIS to connect to and use older releases of the geodatabase—has always been supported and is still supported at ArcGIS 10.1. Forward compatibility of the geodatabase, which is the ability for older releases of ArcGIS to connect to and use newer releases of the geodatabase, has generally not been supported when new behavior has been added to newer releases of the geodatabase.

At ArcGIS 10.1, several datasets have been updated to provide new functionality. They are as follows:

• Support for Python scripting is available with annotation and dimension feature classes.
• Tables and feature classes now support editor tracking.
• Network datasets support live traffic data, soft restrictions, preferred truck routes, and Python script evaluators.
• Workflows and tools for creating and editing mosaic datasets have been improved, including improved generation of seamlines and footprints, support for more raster types, additional properties, and tools to analyze the mosaic dataset for known errors or limitations.

Starting with ArcGIS 10.1, you no longer need to upgrade the geodatabase to the current release to take advantage of this new geodatabase functionality. When you connect directly from an ArcGIS 10.1 client to a version 10 geodatabase, you can create datasets with 10.1 functionality, while still allowing ArcGIS 10 clients to connect to and use the geodatabase. This new forward compatibility helps you migrate to ArcGIS 10.1 and later releases because it allows you to migrate your desktop clients to take advantage of new functionality without upgrading your server.

Esri recommends that ArcGIS clients connecting to version 10.1 geodatabases use 10 SP2, which contains several fixes to improve the user experience for connecting to version 10.1 geodatabases. While ArcGIS 10 or 10 SP1 clients can still connect to version 10.1 geodatabases, they will not benefit from the changes made in SP2. While ArcGIS 10 clients can open, query, edit, and save data in 10.1 geodatabases, they cannot open datasets with 10.1 functionality and will encounter the following error message when trying to open one of these datasets:

The version of the Geodatabase client is incompatible 
with the dataset and cannot open it.

This only applies to version 10 geodatabases; to take advantage of new 10.1 functionality with 9.3.x and prior releases of the geodatabase, you must upgrade them to version 10.1.

If you want to upgrade your geodatabase to the current release, use the Upgrade Geodatabase button on the General tab of the Database Properties dialog box, the Upgrade Geodatabase geoprocessing tool, or a Python script.

Once a geodatabase has been upgraded, it can no longer be accessed from ArcGIS 9.3.x or earlier clients.

Changes in setups, connections, and upgrades

There are some changes in ArcGIS 10.1 that affect configuring enterprise geodatabase connections and upgraded geodatabases in SQL Server.

Database client files

You must install database clients to connect to a database or directly to an enterprise geodatabase from all ArcGIS client machines. Obtain the database client from your database management system vendor. Or, for DB2, Informix, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server, you can download the database client from the Esri Customer Care Portal. Remember that connections from a 32-bit ArcGIS client require a 32-bit database client, and connections from a 64-bit ArcGIS client require a 64-bit client.

Separate downloads are available for the ArcSDE application server and command line tools

The recommended method to access enterprise geodatabases is to connect directly from ArcGIS clients. If you only use direct connections to your geodatabase, you do not have to install the ArcSDE application server.

However, if you do use an ArcSDE service for connections, download and run the ArcSDE application server installation. This installs the files necessary to create and start an ArcSDE service. It also includes the ArcSDE administration command line tools and documentation.

Note:

The ArcSDE application server installation only sets up the ArcSDE service. To create a geodatabase, you must use the methods described at the beginning of this topic. You must create a geodatabase first before you can start an ArcSDE service.

To create ArcSDE service connections from ArcGIS, use the Create ArcSDE Connection File geoprocessing tool.

There is also a separate ArcSDE command line tool installation available that includes just the data access commands. Both the ArcSDE application server and separate command line tool installation are available from the Esri Customer Care Portal.

Separate installation not needed for DB2 on z/OS

Beginning with 10.1, geodatabases are created from the ArcGIS client. Since geodatabases in DB2 on z/OS do not use an ArcSDE service for connections, a separate ArcSDE installation is not needed. The files required to set up the subsystem have been moved to the ArcGIS client DatabaseSupport\DB2zOS folder. Instructions for setting up or upgrading a geodatabase in DB2 on z/OS are in the ArcGIS user help.

Multiple spatial database model geodatabases can be upgraded but not created

You can upgrade an existing multiple spatial database model geodatabase in SQL Server to 10.1; however, you cannot add new user databases to it. You also cannot create new multiple spatial database model geodatabases in SQL Server beginning with ArcGIS 10.1.

Default geometry storage type changed

When you create a new geodatabase in SQL Server or upgrade an existing geodatabase, the default geometry storage type used for new feature classes is SQL Server geometry. Therefore, all newly created feature classes can be accessed through SQL.

If you do not want new feature classes to use SQL Server geometry storage by default, you can use the sdedbtune ArcSDE administration command to change the GEOMETRY_STORAGE setting under the DEFAULTS keyword in the SDE_dbtune table. You can install the ArcSDE administration commands using the ArcSDE Application Server for SQL Server installation wizard.

New functionality for developers

New API to access file geodatabases without ArcObjects

A new set of C++ functions is available that provides a means, not based on ArcObjects, by which advanced developers can work with file geodatabases. This API allows developers to do the following:

• Create a file geodatabase.
• Read the schema of a file geodatabase.
• Create schema objects within the simple feature model.
• Read data from and write data to a file geodatabase.
• Perform attribute and (limited) spatial queries on datasets.

The API is available from the Esri Downloads page.

New SQL functions to return information about geodatabase tables

There are nine new SQL functions available to help SQL developers retrieve information about enterprise geodatabase tables:

• Is_Simple: Returns true if the specified table does not participate in extended geodatabase functionality and can, therefore, be edited outside of ArcGIS
• Geometry_Columns: Returns the names of the spatial column (or columns) in the specified table
• Is_Versioned: Returns true if the specified table is registered as versioned
• Is_Replcated: Returns true if the specified table participates in a geodatabase replica
• Version_View_Name: Returns the name of the versioned view associated with the specified table; if no versioned view exists, a message is returned indicating this.
• RowID_Name: Returns the name of the registered RowID (ObjectID) field in the specified table; if a RowID registered with the geodatabase does not exist, a message is returned.
• Next_RowID: Returns the next valid value to insert to the RowID field
• GlobalID_Name: Returns the name of the registered GlobalID field in the specified table; if a GlobalID field does not exist, a message is returned.
• Next_GlobalID: Returns the next valid value to insert to the GlobalID field

The information returned from these functions is useful if you want to edit enterprise geodatabase tables using SQL; you must know if there are dependencies on the table, the names of the spatial column, ObjectID, and GlobalID fields before you can edit it. You also need unique values for the ObjectID and GlobalID fields when inserting records to geodatabase tables.

ST_Geometry type expanded to include support for parametric circles and wedges

At 10.1, you can create and query parametric circles or wedges in ST_Geometry columns using the ST_Geometry function. See Parametric circles, ellipses, and wedges for more information.

ST_Transform function expanded in Oracle databases

The ST_Transform function in Oracle now allows you to specify a geographic transformation ID to convert between two geographic coordinate systems. See ST_Transform for more information.

SRIDs prepopulated in new and upgraded enterprise geodatabases

When you create a geodatabase or upgrade your existing geodatabase in Oracle or PostgreSQL, the spatial reference system tables are populated with a set of spatial references that use standard EPSG or ESRI codes for their SRIDs. You can use these codes when creating new data through SQL. ArcGIS will also use these SRIDs and spatial references when data is created in ArcGIS clients.