Export data

Exporting data allows you to copy data to other geodatabases and optionally change the format of the data.

This can be done from the following:

• Catalog pane—Right-click a dataset or geodatabase and choose Export.
• Contents pane—Right-click a layer, and under Data, choose Export Features or Export table.
• Use geoprocessing tools.

Note:

Exporting data using the context menu or geoprocessing options uses tools in the Conversion toolbox to convert data between various formats. Refer to the Conversion toolbox help for information regarding these tools and their parameters.

Copy the data

An alternative to exporting data is copying it.

To copy a geodatabase, feature dataset, feature class, or table from one workspace to another using the Catalog pane, right-click the item and select Copy. In the Catalog pane, right-click the destination workspace and select Paste.

Export data, schema, and properties

When exporting data from the Catalog or Contents pane from one workspace to another, you can use the following options:

• Generate Schema Report—Generate an Excel, JSON, PDF, or HTML representation of the selected geodatabase, feature dataset, or feature class schema using the Generate Schema Report tool.

• (Geodatabase, Feature Dataset, or Feature Class) To XML Workspace Document—Export the selected geodatabase, feature dataset, or feature class data or schema only to an XML Workspace Document using the Export XML Workspace Document tool.

• Feature Class(es) To Geodatabase—Copy all or a subset of feature classes contained in the geodatabase to a target geodatabase using the Feature Class To Geodatabase tool. This is available when exporting geodatabases, feature datasets, and feature classes.

• Feature Class To Feature Class—Convert the feature class to another feature class using the Export Features tool. This is available when exporting a feature class.

• Feature Class(es) To CAD—Convert all or a subset of feature classes contained in the geodatabase into one or more CAD drawings using the Export to CAD tool. This is available when exporting geodatabases, feature datasets, and feature classes.

• Feature Class to Shapefile—Convert the feature class to a shapefile in a target folder using the Feature Class to Shapefile tool. This is available when exporting a feature class.

• Feature Class(es) To Shapefile(s)—Convert all or a subset of feature classes contained in the geodatabase to one or more shapefiles in a target folder using the Feature Class To Shapefile tool. This is available when exporting geodatabases, feature datasets, and feature classes.

Depending on the tool that is used to export data, some data or schema may not be exported. When exporting data from an enterprise geodatabase that is versioned, the current version representation is used and the destination data is not versioned.

The following table lists the data and schema that are exported, by tool:

Exported workspace, data, schema, or property	Copy --Paste	Generate Schema Report	Export XML Workspace Document	Feature Class To Geodatabase	Export Features	Export to CAD	Feature Class To Shapefile
Geodatabase
Feature dataset
Feature class (geometry)
Subset of features				*		*	*
Feature attributes
Spatial reference
Attachments
Attribute rules
Contingent values				**
Domains
Global IDs				**
Relationship class
Subtypes
Topology

*To export a subset of data, click Environments > Processing Extent, and choose an available option for the subset extent.

**This is included in the export if you clicked Environments > Transfer Geodatabase Field Properties.

Note:

You can also export data stored in a file or mobile geodatabase by right-clicking it under the Folders folder on the Project tab of the Catalog pane and pointing to the Export drop-down menu.

Export a subset of data

The subsections below describe workflows to export a subset of data.

In addition to the workflows below, you can also export a subset of data by doing the following:

• When accessed from the Contents pane, both the Export Features tool and Export Table tool honor selections in the active map or tables.
• You can extract a subset of data from one geodatabaseto another geodatabase or to an .xml file using the Extract Data From Geodatabase geoprocessing tool. The following are different ways to specify subsets of data to extract using this tool:
  • Extract the schema and data, or schema only
  • Use definition queries
  • Use a selection set
  • Specify an extent
  • Use geometry features
  • Extract data to a different spatial reference

Learn more about the processing extent or other geoprocessing environment settings.

Export a portion of a large dataset

To export a portion of a larger dataset, such as exporting only the features visible in the map's current view extent, complete the following steps:

1. Zoom to the area on the map that you want to use as the new full extent.
2. In the Contents pane, right-click the layer and point to the Data drop-down menu.
3. Click Export Features.
4. On the Export Features dialog box, click the Environments tab.
5. Under Processing Extent, select Current Display Extent from the drop-down menu.

   

Export a subset based on a map's extent

To export a subset of data stored in a feature dataset—based on the map's current view extent, for example—complete the following steps:

1. Zoom to the area on the map that you want to use as the new full extent.
2. On the Project tab in the Catalog pane, right-click the feature dataset layer and point to the Export drop-down menu.
3. Click Feature Class(es) To Geodatabase to open the Feature Class To Geodatabase geoprocessing tool.
4. Click the Environments tab.
5. Under Processing Extent, select Current Display Extent from the drop-down menu.

Export a table

To export a table, you can use the context menu in either the Catalog pane or the Contents pane of a map or scene containing layers.

To export a table from the Catalog pane, right-click the table and select Export.

The Export menu provides the following options:

• Table(s) To dBASE—Convert one or more tables in a geodatabase to a dBASE file in an output folder using the Table To dBASE tool.
• Table To Table—Convert the table to a dBASE or geodatabase table using the Export Table tool.
• Table(s) To Geodatabase—Convert one or more tables in a geodatabase to geodatabase tables in an output geodatabase using the Table To Geodatabase tool.
• Table To Point Feature Class—Convert the table containing x-, y-, and z-coordinates (optional) to a point feature class using the XY Table to Point tool.
• Table To Line Feature Class—Convert the table containing values in a start x-coordinate field, start y-coordinate field, end x-coordinate field, and end y-coordinate field of a table to a feature class containing geodetic or planar lines using the XY To Line tool.
• Table To Ellipse Feature Class—Convert the table containing values in an x-coordinate field, y-coordinate field, major axis and minor axis fields, and azimuth field of a table to a feature class containing geodetic or planar ellipses using the Table To Ellipse tool.
• Table(s) To XML Workspace Document—Export the table's data or schema only to an XML workspace document using the Export XML Workspace Document tool.
• Generate Schema Report—Generate an Excel, JSON, PDF, or HTML representation of the geodatabase schema using the Generate Schema Report tool.

To export a table from the Contents pane, right-click the table in the Contents pane, select Data to access the drop-down menu, and select Export Table. Then convert the table to a dBASE or geodatabase table using the Export Table geoprocessing tool..

Export a shapefile

To export a shapefile, you can use the context menu from either the Catalog pane or the Contents pane of a map or scene containing layers.

To export a shapefile from the Catalog pane, right-click the shapefile, select Export.

The Export menu provides the following options:

• Shapefile(s) To CAD—Convert one or more shapefiles to a CAD drawing using the Export to CAD tool.
• Feature Class To Feature Class—Convert the shapefile to a feature class using the Export Features tool.
• Feature Class(es) To Geodatabase—Convert one or more shapefiles to one or more feature classes in a target geodatabase using the Feature Class To Geodatabase tool.

To export a shapefile from the Contents pane, right-click the shapefile displayed in the map or scene, and select Data.

The Data menu provides the following options:

• Export Features—Convert the shapefile to a feature class using the Export Features tool.
• Export Table—Convert the table to a dBASE or geodatabase table using the Export Table tool.