Every dataset stored in a geodatabase has a number of properties associated with it, such as the spatial reference and any geodatabase capabilities that have been enabled. You can access and manage geodatabase
dataset properties from the dataset's properties dialog box.
The properties are contextual so different information and tabs are available depending on the type of dataset the dialog box is opened from.
Once you create or add datasets to a geodatabase, such as tables and feature classes, they appear
in the Catalog pane. You can view the properties of geodatabase datasets and perform geodatabase management tasks from
the datasets' properties dialog box.
To access the geodatabase properties dialog box, complete the following steps:
Start ArcGIS Pro.
In the Catalog pane, in the Databases folder , click the geodatabase to open and expand its contents.
Right-click a dataset, such as a table or feature class, and click Properties on the context menu.
The dataset properties dialog box appears.
For example, in the image above, if a table was selected, the Table Properties dialog box appears. If a feature class was selected, the Feature Class Properties dialog box appears.
Tip:
To expand the dialog box, double-click the top menu bar.
Feature class properties
The Feature Class Properties dialog box contains the following tabs:
The Copy button is available in each section on the Source tab and can be used to copy the entire grid or selected rows of information to the clipboard, which you can paste to a document or to a different dataset during the dataset creation process.
The Data Source section includes information about the dataset type, feature type, geometry type, and any geodatabase functionality enabled on the dataset, such as versioning or archiving.
Data Type—The data type consists of two parts:
The data storage type—For example, File, Mobile, or Enterprise Geodatabase
The dataset type—For example, Table, Feature Class, or View
The enterprise geodatabase dataset properties are as follows:
Server—The database server or instance where the geodatabase dataset resides. The information shown will vary depending on the database platform.
Instance—The database server or instance where the geodatabase dataset resides. The information shown will vary depending on the database platform.
Database Platform—Specifies the database management system platform where the geodatabase dataset resides.
User—The database username that was used to connect to the geodatabase dataset.
Version—The geodatabase transactional version or historical marker specified when connecting to the geodatabase dataset. The default option uses the default transactional version. If a branch version type was specified, the connection is always the default branch version.
Authentication Type—Specifies the type of authentication used to connect to the geodatabase dataset. The options are as follows:
Database Authentication
Operating System Authentication
Privileges—The privileges granted to the database user for this specific dataset.
Each object (feature class, table, relationship class, and so on) in a geodatabase is automatically assigned a unique non-negative integer value, the Object Class ID value. This integer uniquely identifies the dataset in a geodatabase and is assigned to the object class at the time it is created or at the time an existing table in the RDBMS is registered with the geodatabase as an object class. Click the Object Class ID button in the Name property row to see the ID value assigned to this dataset.
Alias—An alternate name that can be assigned to a table or feature class. This is the name users see when they add the dataset to the map. To update the alias of the dataset, click in the text box and make changes.
ObjectID—The supported bit level, 32-bit or 64-bit, for the object ID row in a feature class. Geodatabase tables and feature classes are created in ArcGIS with 32-bit object IDs by default.
Feature Type—The feature type for the dataset. The options are as follows:
Simple—Polygons, lines, and
points representing objects or places that have area, such as water
bodies; linear objects, such as rivers; and localized positions,
such as houses or sample sites
3D Object—Stores and manages 3D geometry type features in a geodatabase using a defined geographic location with a referenced 3D geometry
mesh.
Annotation—Place or object names or
identifiers, such as street names, hydrant ID numbers, land values,
or elevation
Catalog Dataset—Stores and organizes a collection of layers, rasters, datasets, and others from one centrally managed source.
Dimension—Measurements, such as
distances, lengths, widths, and depths
Oriented Imagery Dataset—An image management and visualization solution for non-nadir optical imagery, such as oblique, street-view, and inspection imagery categories.
Geometry Type—The geometry shape type. The options are as follows:
Point
Line
Polygon
Multipatch
Multipoint
3D Object
Coordinates have Z value—Specifies whether the geometry is z-value enabled. A z-value represents the height or elevation of a feature in relation to the earth's surface.
Coordinates have M value—Specifies whether the geometry is m-value enabled. For example, m-values are commonly used in linear referencing to measure the distance along a line feature. M-values can also represent time or other variables along a line feature.
Storage—Specifies the precision (high or low) in which coordinates in the dataset are stored.
Attachments—Specifies whether attachments are enabled for the dataset.
Versioning—Specifies whether the dataset is registered as versioned and the versioning type.
Note:
Versioning is only supported for datasets in an enterprise
geodatabase.
Archiving—Specifies whether the dataset has been
archived to track historical data.
Note:
Archiving can only be enabled on traditional versioned datasets in an enterprise geodatabase or on nonversioned datasets in an enterprise or mobile geodatabase. Archiving is enabled automatically for branch versioned datasets when you register the dataset as branch versioned. Archiving is not supported on data in a file geodatabase.
Feature Binning—Specifies whether feature binning is enabled on a feature class.
Note:
Feature binning is only supported for point and multipoint feature classes stored in an enterprise geodatabase or database, and the data cannot be versioned or archive enabled.
Split Model—The split model that is set for the dataset. You can change this property on the drop-down menu.
Minimum Client Version—The minimum ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Enterprise client version required to access this dataset. The value represents the value of the dataset in addition to any geodatabase capabilities that have been applied to the dataset.
Note:
Values are formatted as ArcGIS Pro / ArcGIS Enterprise. For instance, 3.4 / 11.4 represents a dataset where 3.4 is the minimum ArcGIS Pro version and 11.4 is the minimum ArcGIS Enterprise version required to access the dataset.
Extent
A feature class is a collection of spatial data, and its extent is based on the last known spatial extent of all the coordinates in the feature class. An extent is a rectangle specified by providing the coordinate of the lower left corner and the coordinate of the upper right corner in map units.
When adding a feature class to a map, the extent is used in some spatial query operations and to center and display all the features. However, the extent property may not always update when features in the feature class are edited or after adding or deleting a large number of features. This means that the values in the extent property may not contain the actual spatial extent of the features and may result in poor performance when using the feature class.
To automatically recalculate the xy, z, and m extent properties of a feature class, you can use Recalculate in the Extent section, or you can manually set the extent values.
Note:
The xy, z, and m extents of a feature class are different from spatial reference domains. The xy, z, and m domains in a spatial reference define the valid range of coordinate values that can be stored in a feature class, while the feature class extents reflect the actual range of coordinate values in the feature class. The extent values should always be equal to the values that ArcGIS Pro recalculates or to a larger extent that does not exceed the domains' limits.
The spatial reference describes where features are located in the real world. You define a spatial reference when creating a geodatabase feature dataset or stand-alone feature class. The spatial reference includes a coordinate system for x-, y-, and z-values as well as tolerance and resolution values for x-, y-, z-, and m-values.
In the geodatabase, the coordinate system and other related spatial properties are defined as part of the spatial reference for each dataset. A spatial reference is the coordinate system used to store each feature class and other coordinate properties such as the coordinate resolution for x,y coordinates and optional z- and m- (measure) coordinates. If required, you can define a vertical coordinate system for datasets with z-coordinates that represent surface elevation.
The geodatabase uses the spatial reference assigned to the data to accurately display a feature's location in the world and carry out geoprocessing functions.
You define a spatial reference when creating a geodatabase feature dataset or a stand-alone feature class. The spatial reference includes a coordinate system for x-, y-, and z-values as well as tolerance and resolution values for x-, y-, z-, and m-values.
Note:
For data sources with an unknown coordinate system, you cannot add data until a projection has been defined. You can use
the
Define Projection tool to modify the coordinate system of the
dataset.
Keep the following in mind when using this tool:
You must know the correct coordinate system of the
dataset.
The Define Projection tool
only updates the existing coordinate system information. It does
not modify the geometry of the input data, and it does not project or
transform it into a new coordinate system.
To transform the geometry to another coordinate system, use the
Project tool. The Project tool projects the spatial data from one
coordinate system to another and creates an output,
meaning the original input data is not modified and you will
have two copies of the data.
Domain, resolution, and tolerance describes the dataset spatial reference properties for the x,y coordinates and optional z- and m-coordinates, such as its resolution and tolerance.
Indexes tab
The Indexes tab displays information about indexes, attribute and spatial, applied to the dataset. The purpose of indexes is to speed up the data retrieval process by reducing the need to read all the data stored in a particular table. Attribute indexes are used to locate records that match an attribute query, and spatial indexes are used to locate features that match a spatial query.
The Indexes tab includes the Attribute Index and Spatial Index sections.
Attribute Index
Attribute indexes are used to locate records that match an attribute query. Attribute indexes can speed up joins and other
attribute queries on tables, feature classes, or an attributed relationship class. An attribute index is an alternate path used
by ArcGIS to retrieve a record from a table. For most types of
attribute queries, it is faster to look up a record with an index
than to start at the first record and search through the entire
table.
You can create attribute indexes on
the Properties dialog box in ArcGIS Pro or using the Add Attribute Index geoprocessing tool. Once an index is
added, you can delete and add it again at any time.
Spatial indexes are used to improve spatial query performance on feature classes. When identifying a feature, selecting features by
pointing or dragging a box, and panning and zooming all
require ArcGIS Pro to use the spatial index to quickly locate
features.
The way ArcGIS Pro creates or rebuilds spatial indexes depends on
the type of geodatabase and, for enterprise geodatabases, varies
depending on the database management system used.
The geodatabase uses the spatial index defined on the feature class to increase the efficiency of spatial searches on your data.
While you seldom need to manage the spatial index, if you experience a decrease in spatial query
performance after adding or deleting a large number of features,
you may see improved spatial query performance if you re-create the spatial index on the affected feature class.
Information on the Relationships tab includes details only when a dataset is part of a relationship.
You can create data relationship associations in several ways, including by joining or relating tables temporarily in a map or by creating relationship classes in a geodatabase that maintain more permanent associations.
For example, the GIS.City_GuardRails feature class participates in a one-to-many simple relationship class with the GIS.City_GuardRailsInspections feature class.
You can view, enable, and
disable geodatabase functionality on the Manage tab of the dataset properties dialog box.
The geodatabase functionality options available on the Manage tab vary depending on the type of geodatabase the table or feature class is stored in.
For example, the following image shows the different geodatabase functionality options available from the Manage tab when the City_GuardRails feature class is stored in a file, mobile, and enterprise geodatabase.
Note:
The numbers in the following image correspond to the numbers and types of geodatabases in the table below.
Element
Geodatabase type
1
File Geodatabase Feature Class
2
Mobile Geodatabase Feature Class
3
Enterprise Geodatabase Feature Class
Note:
To enable or disable geodatabase functionality on a feature class that resides in an enterprise geodatabase, you must be connected to the enterprise geodatabase as the owner of that feature class.
From the Manage tab, you can view, enable, and disable the following geodatabase functionality options of a dataset:
Versioning—When the Versioning box is checked, the following versioning types are available to use on data in an enterprise geodatabase:
Branch—This is the default. Clicking OK on the Feature Class Properties dialog box automatically enables the required conditions for branch versioning on the feature class. This includes enabling archiving, global IDs, editor tracking, and updating the geodatabase connection to be a branch versioned connection.
Traditional—Use this option to register a dataset as versioned using traditional versioning, then click OK on the Feature Class Properties dialog box.
Move edits to base—This option becomes available when you set Versioning to Traditional, and it is only available for simple features. It is not available on datasets that participate in a topology, replication, network dataset, utility network, or trace network, or datasets that are archive enabled.
Note:
If you use versioning with feature datasets in an enterprise geodatabase, all feature classes in the feature dataset must use the same Versioning type: Branch or Traditional.
Archiving—This option is available for tables and feature classes in a mobile or enterprise geodatabase. You can enable archiving on tables and feature classes to track historical data.
Replica Tracking—You can enable replica tracking when the feature class is registered with the branch versioning type.
Note:
If you enable sync when publishing data, replica tracking is enabled automatically.
Attachments—This option is available for tables and feature classes in a file, mobile, or enterprise geodatabase.
When attachments are enabled on a table or feature class, the Global IDs option is also enabled automatically. When you enable attachments, the necessary attachment relationship class and attachment table that will store attachment files internally are created. If the feature class has replica tracking and archiving enabled and is not registered as versioned, the attachments table inherits those settings.
After you enable attachments on the feature class, you can use the Add Attachments
geoprocessing tool to add attachments to the feature class.
Global IDs—This option is available for tables and feature classes in a file, mobile, or enterprise geodatabase.
Global IDs uniquely identify a feature or table row in a table, feature class, or feature dataset in a geodatabase and across geodatabases.
Editor tracking—This option is available on tables and feature classes in a file, mobile, or enterprise geodatabase. When you enable editor tracking, the fields that record username and date information are filled in with predefined settings (default), or you can provide custom field name values. If the fields to track feature creation and edits do not exist in the table or feature class, they will be created when you enable editor tracking.
Additional geodatabase dataset type properties
Learn more about accessing and managing the properties for the following dataset types:
, click the geodatabase to open and expand its contents.
on the context menu. 
is available in each section on the Source tab and can be used to copy the entire grid or selected rows of information to the clipboard, which you can paste to a document or to a different dataset during the dataset creation process.
in the Name property row to see the ID value assigned to this dataset.
