ArcGIS 9.
1
Tips & Tricks
C REATING A F EATURE C LASS
USDA NRCS National Cartography and Geospatial Center
501 W Felix, PO Box 6567, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
Phone 817.509.3400 Fax 817.509.3469 www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov
About Feature Classes Inside This Tip Sheet
This tip sheet teaches you how to create a
You can perform geoprocessing tasks on the feature class and how to set up the layer’s
feature classes contained within a geodatabase properties. The layer can then be added to
feature dataset. Geodatabase feature classes store
an ArcMap session and the features digitized
geographic features represented as points, lines,
and attributed.
polygons, annotation, dimensions, and
multipatches and their attributes. They store
simple features, so they can be organized inside
or outside a feature dataset, but always inside a
geodatabase, personal or ArcSDE. Simple feature
classes that are outside a feature dataset are
called standalone feature classes. Feature classes
that store topological features must be contained
within a feature dataset to ensure a common
coordinate system.
Create a Feature Class Enter a name for the new Feature class. For the
Right click on the Geodatabase (or Feature Type the default is usually sufficient for most
Dataset) in which you want to create the new layers. Click Next.
Feature Class.
Continued on Page 2
Creating a Feature Class Page 2
For the database storage configuration accept the ArcGIS Data Types Table
default. Click Next.
The ArcGIS Data Types Table shows each data
type, the specific range, and the length or format.
The table gives specifics on byte size and the
application for each data type.
Specific
Size
Name range, length, Applications
(Bytes)
or format
numeric values
Short -32,768 to without fractional
2
integer 32,767 values within specific
range; coded values
numeric values
-2,147,483,648
Long without fractional
to 4
integer values within specific
2,147,483,647
range
Single
precision
approximately numeric values with
floating
-3.4E38 to 4 fractional values
point
1.2E38 within specific range
number
(Float)
To add new fields click on the line below SHAPE. Double
precision
Enter the name in Field Name and choose the Data approximately numeric values with
floating
-2.2E308 to 8 fractional values
Type from the drop-down menu. (refer to the point
1.8E308 within specific range
number
ArcGIS Data Types Table) (Double)
up to 64,000 names or other
Text varies
characters textual qualities
mm/dd/yyyy
Date hh:mm:ss 8 date and/or time
A/PM
images or other
BLOB varies varies
multimedia
36 characters customized
16 or
GUID enclosed in applications requiring
38
curly brackets global identifiers
For numeric fields you need to specify the precision (the
number of digits that can be stored in a field) and scale
(the number of decimal places for float or double-type).
Refer to the Field Properties section on the following
page.
When you have completed the options click Finish.
Creating a Feature Class Page 3
Field Properties
When you use ArcCatalog to create a new table or Field precision and scale
feature class, you can specify any number of fields to The precision and scale of a field describe the
be included. You can also specify settings for fields maximum size and precision of data that can be
such as the field type and the maximum size of the stored in the field. The precision describes the
data that can be stored in the field. number of digits that can be stored in the field,
while the scale describes the number of decimal
Default Field Properties places for float and double fields. When creating a
Each field type has special properties. All fields have new field in a geodatabase feature class or table,
properties default value, domain, alias, and allow you can specify the field's type, precision, and scale.
nulls. You can set the allow nulls property to "no" if When the field is actually created in the database,
you do not want the field to store null values. If you the field type may be changed based on the
set the allow nulls property to "yes", then the field precision and scale values you specify.
will allow null values.
Use the following guidelines for choosing the
Use the default value property if you want the field to correct field type for a given precision and scale:
be automatically populated with a default value when • When you create a float, double, or integer
a new feature or object is created with the ArcMap field and specify 0 for precision and scale,
editing tools. You can set a domain, which is a valid the geodatabase will attempt to create a
set or range of values that can be stored in the field binary type field if the underlying database
by using the domain property. Default values and supports it. Personal geodatabases support
domains are discussed in detail in Subtypes and only binary type fields, and precision and
attribute domains. scale are ignored.
• When you create float and double fields and
The exceptions are fields of type ObjectID, binary specify a precision and scale, if your
large object (BLOB), and Geometry. ObjectID, BLOB, precision is greater than 6, use a double;
and Geometry type fields do not have a default value otherwise use a float. If you create a double
and domain property. Alias is the only property of an field and specify a precision of 6 or less, a
ObjectID field you can modify, while BLOB and float field is created in the database. If you
Geometry fields have special properties you can create a float field and specify a precision
modify. greater than 6, a double field is created.
• If you specify a scale of 0 and a precision of
The properties of the geometry field describe the
10 or less, you should be creating integer
kind of features that can be stored in a feature class,
fields. When creating integer fields, your
the size of the spatial index, and the spatial
precision should be 10 or less or your field
reference for the features.
may be created as double.
ArcGIS 9.1 Help Documentation
USDA NRCS
ESRI Authorized Instructors
National Cartography and The National Cartography and Geospatial Center
Geospatial Center (NCGC) maintains seven Authorized Instructors. All
501 W Felix, Building 23 seven are authorized to teach the Introduction to
PO Box 6567 ArcGIS 1 for USDA-SCA 8.3 and 9.x courses. One
Fort Worth, Texas 76115 instructor is authorized to teach the Working with
Phone: ArcGIS Spatial Analyst 9 course. For more information
817-509-3400 on the courses, please contact one of the following
instructors. For a course in your state, please contact
Fax:
Tommie Parham, NCGC Director.
817-509-3469
Dwain Daniels 817-509-3395
[email protected] Paul Fukuhara 817-509-3395
[email protected] Tommie Parham, Director
Gary Hallbauer 817-509-3347
[email protected] 817-509-3420
Patsy Hudson 817-509-3361
[email protected] Steve Nechero 817-509-3366
[email protected] Ron Selph 817-509-3373
[email protected] Jennifer Sweet 817-509-3421
[email protected] We’re on the Web!
Visit us at: GIS Courses Offered from NCGC
www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov • Introduction to ArcGIS 1 for USDA SCA 9
• Working with ArcGIS Spatial Analyst 9
• Taking GIS to the Field Using ArcPad
ESRI Authorized Partner Education Center
The National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC) is a
designated ESRI Authorized Partner Education Center (APEC).
An APEC must meet certain criteria in physical amenities,
software, system requirements, as well as audiovisual
equipment in the classroom. Policies and procedures must be
followed to maintain an ESRI APEC. The NCGC has seven
Authorized Instructors available to teach ESRI courses. The
learning center has up-to-date equipment available for the
Participants in the Digital Soil Survey
students to utilize in their learning process. By being an Mapping and Updating class held in
August 2004.
APEC, NCGC may host any ESRI course being taught by an
ESRI instructor.
