Create a database view in ArcGIS for Desktop

You can define a database view on tables in your database from the database connection context menu in ArcGIS for Desktop.

Steps:

1. Start ArcCatalog or ArcMap and open the Catalog window.
2. Connect to the database in which you want to create a view.

   Be sure you connect as a user that has the database permissions required to create views. Check your database management system documentation for information on these permissions.

3. Right-click the database connection, point to New, then click View.

   The Create New View dialog box opens.

4. Type a name for your view in the View Name text box.

   The view name cannot contain spaces or nonalphanumeric characters, and cannot exceed the maximum characters allowed by the DBMS for view names.

5. Type the SQL query to define your view in the View Definition text box.

   To create a spatial view on a table that uses a SQL spatial storage type, include the spatial column in your query definition. You cannot create a spatial view if the spatial column is a binary geometry data type.

6. Click OK to create the view.

Your newly defined view appears in the list of data under the database connection.

Be aware that the view is a database view; even if it is created in an enterprise geodatabase it is not a geodatabase object.

To allow other people to access the view, grant privileges on the view.