Essential Data Interoperability extension vocabulary

Term	Description
Data format	A data format defines how digital information is encoded and stored in a file or other data source. Native ArcGIS formats are files such as shapefiles or coverages and any element in a geodatabase such as a feature class or table. Nonnative or external formats are files not directly supported by ArcGIS. Examples include MapInfo .mid/.mif or .tab files, Danish .ufo, and International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) S-57 .000 or .003 files.
Data source	A data source is an instance of a dataset stored in a specific format.
Data transformation	A data transformation is the process of reorganizing or restructuring data from the source format into destination data.
Data translator	A data translator converts data from one format to another format. For example, a data translator can convert MapInfo TAB data to an Esri shapefile.
Direct read	Direct read is the ability to recognize a nonnative format on the fly within ArcGIS without having to use a conversion tool.
Extract, transform, and load	Extract, transform, and load (ETL) refers to the three separate functions that are combined into a single tool and executed as a series, in the following order: The extract function reads the data from the specified source or sources. The transform function converts the data using the rules you have specified and creates new data. The load function writes the resulting data to the specified data file and format.
Spatial ETL	Spatial ETL is a category of tools used for manipulating spatial data that incorporate the data processing methodologies of traditional extract, transform, and load software.
Transformer	A transformer is an FME Workbench object that performs a particular restructuring of features or schema. It is a visual object that you add to your workspace canvas and connect between the source and destination features, or to other transformers.

Essential Data Interoperability extension vocabulary