Geoprocessing with ArcGIS

The most important thing to understand about geoprocessing in ArcGIS is that all geoprocessing operations involve the use of tools. You've already seen how to run a tool from its dialog, but there is more than one way to perform geoprocessing. You can use a tool's dialog, the command line, a model, or a script, depending on your needs or preferences.

The ArcGIS geoprocessing framework provides multiple ways of working.

You can run any geoprocessing tool using any method in either ArcMap or ArcCatalog™. If you have the 3D Analyst extension, you can also run these tools in ArcGlobe™ and ArcScene™. In this course, you will only work with ArcCatalog and ArcMap.

Which application is best for geoprocessing?

Differences in the way that results are displayed in the two applications may lead you to choose one over the other depending on the geoprocessing task. For example, if you are importing a shapefile to a geodatabase, you may want to run the process in ArcCatalog so that you can see the new feature class in the Catalog Tree. But if you are selecting features, you may want to run the process in ArcMap so that you can see the results in the map display.

In this topic you'll get a chance to compare the different geoprocessing methods. You'll also learn how to find tools, manage your toolboxes, and get help when you need it.

Regardless of what GIS software you have previously used, there are common GIS operations that you are probably familiar with. For example, converting, selecting, and overlaying data are common GIS tasks. However, what will undoubtedly be new to you is determining which geoprocessing tool is best suited for a particular task. In other words, how do you go from knowing the general procedures required for your project, to choosing the specific tools you need to carry out those procedures?

There is more than one approach you can take to determine which tool you need for a certain job. As you saw in the previous topic, ArcGIS geoprocessing tools are organized into logical groups based on types of geoprocessing tasks. With that knowledge, you can begin to narrow down your search. For example, suppose that you need to join an attribute table to a feature class. The Data Management Tools toolbox would be a good starting point. Once you think you've found the right tool, you can read the tool's help to verify it works the way you think it does.

You can also use keywords to search all the tools in ArcToolbox to find the tool you need. Alternatively, you can search ArcGIS Desktop Help for information about tools, and then launch the tool directly from there.

Although there are many geoprocessing tools to choose from, it's not difficult to find the appropriate tools for your GIS tasks. For example, to locate all of the parcels affected by a new regulation that prohibits billboard advertising within 500 feet of a school, your geoprocessing workflow might include the Select Layer By Attribute, Buffer, and Intersect tools.

Complete tool reference

A complete list of all geoprocessing tools and a description of how each tool works can be found in ArcGIS Desktop Help under Geoprocessing > Geoprocessing tool reference. Here you will also find the ArcGIS Geoprocessing Commands Quick Reference Guide. The Reference Guide also tells you which tools are available with each type of ArcGIS license. This information can be particularly useful if you plan on sharing your work with others who may have a different license.