Enforcing data integrity with attribute domains

Maintaining accurate data is a concern of all GIS users. As features in the real world change, their attributes must be updated. Of course, data entry errors are always possible, but the geodatabase provides a way to minimize the potential for errors—attribute domains.

Attribute domains define what values are allowed in a field in a feature class table or nonspatial table. In other words, attribute domains specify valid values for an attribute.

When attributes are being edited, attribute domains help prevent data errors in one of two ways: you can either create a list of valid attribute values from which users must choose, or you can give users the ability to check that all features are valid after editing.