Working with Metadata in ArcGIS

Esri UC 2014 | Technical Workshop |

Working with Metadata in ArcGISAleta Vienneau


Working with metadata in ArcGIS

• ArcGIS metadata goals

• Editing metadata

• Setting your metadata style

• Leveraging metadata in ArcGIS

• Upgrading 9.3.1 metadata for ArcGIS 10.x

• Importing and exporting metadata

• Updates in 10.2.1 (& 10.2.2)

• What’s coming with ArcGIS Pro

• Tips and tricks

Working with Metadata in ArcGIS


ArcGIS for Desktop metadata goals

• Support metadata standards and selected profiles

• Common experience for all users

• Simplify workflows

• Validate metadata

• Support the ArcGIS platform



Editing metadata

• For datasets, services, tools, maps, layer files... almost everything

• Map, globe, scene, layer file Properties dialog box

• Description tab in any ArcGIS for Desktop application- ArcCatalog

- Item Description window



Editing metadata

• From Properties dialog box

• Maps, scenes, globes: save if they are open



Editing metadata

• In ArcCatalog



Editing metadata

• From the Catalog window



Editing metadata

• From the Search window



Editing metadata

• From the Table of Contents (data behind layer)



Editing metadata

• Validate content as you type

Expected value described

Error messages in plain language



Setting your metadata style

• Default metadata style: Item Description- Quickly document items

- Support discovery when items are published

- Portion of an item’s full metadata

• Full metadata—use another style




• Options dialog box in any ArcGIS for Desktop application


Pick the one that’s right for you



• Determines how metadata is- Displayed

- Edited

- Exported

- Validated

• Set once to meet organizational requirements




• Non-default styles provide access to full metadata content

Full content




• Same metadata display for all non-default styles- ArcGIS metadata

- Information is organized to match the ArcGIS metadata editor




• Standard-formatted metadata information displayed like the standard- FGDC-formatted content

- ISO 19139-formatted content

• XML not recognized as metadata, see XML structure




Edit full metadata content




• ArcGIS metadata includes all concepts for supported standards and profiles

• Most concepts are the same- All non-default styles edit common set of pages

• A metadata style filters the full set of concepts




• ArcGIS metadata also includes ArcGIS-specific content- Thumbnail

- Geoprocessing history

- Tool descriptions

- Detailed item properties




• Adds or removes pages

ISO-based styles add Locales page




• Adds or removes elements on a page

NAP style adds date types




• Changes values in some drop-down lists

INSPIRE has fewer codelist values




• Validation rules are appropriate for the current style

ISO 19139

INSPIRE



Editing metadata

Missing required value or invalid data type

Page status

• Table of contents and errors update instantly as you type



Editing metadata

• Save and reuse contact information

Check a contact to save it



Editing metadata

• Load saved contacts as needed

Pick the saved contact from a list



Leveraging metadata in ArcGIS

• Item description content indexed for ArcGIS for Desktop search




• New map layer or layer file derives properties from dataset metadata




• Package’s brief description is derived from the item’s metadata

Populated automatically




• Packaged item has full metadata

• Access it from the Catalog window




• Service description is derived from the item’s metadata

Populated automatically




• Description available at the service’s REST endpoint




• Service’s full metadata is derived from the item’s metadata




• ArcGIS Server service’s REST endpoint provides access to full ArcGIS metadata




• Published and packaged metadata is secure

• Any local network information is automatically removed for security



Upgrading 9.3.1 metadata for ArcGIS 10.x

• ArcGIS 10.x stores metadata in an internal format—ArcGIS metadata - Edits in the Description tab

- Automatic metadata synchronization

- ArcGIS software writes content behind the scenes—on Desktop and Server




• ArcGIS platform leverages ArcGIS metadata




• Used 9.3.1 FGDC metadata editor?- View metadata, click Yes when prompted

- Runs Upgrade Metadata tool

- Open and run tool manually

- Use a script to upgrade many items




• Used 9.3.1 ISO metadata editor wizard?- Start editing metadata, save your changes—content is automatically upgraded

- Open and run Upgrade Metadata tool manually

- Use a script to upgrade many items




• Upgrade- Copies information to ArcGIS metadata elements

- Original elements remain in metadata

• Can re-upgrade with more recent software if original CSDGM content still present- Will lose edits made since last upgrade



Importing and exporting metadata

• IMPORT: Convert standard metadata XML format to ArcGIS metadata

• Use Import button in the Description tab- Runs Import Metadata tool

- Set Import Type based on format of XML file




• IMPORT supported from- FGDC CSDGM XML format

- ISO 19139 XML format




• EXPORT: Convert ArcGIS metadata to a standard metadata XML format

• Use Export button in the Description tab- Runs Export Metadata tool

• Conversion is determined by the metadata style




• EXPORT supported to- FGDC CSDGM XML format

- ISO 19139 XML format




• Use exported XML files outside of ArcGIS- Publish to a geoportal

- Validate files with an XML schema, Schematron, or another application, e.g. mp




• ArcCatalog toolbar buttons export many items

• Use Python scripts to export files periodically- Export Metadata tool synchronizes metadata first




• Help topics compare available geoprocessing tools- Importing metadata

- Exporting metadata

• Creating and managing FGDC metadata- Format-specific conversions



Updates in recent versions of 10.x

• 10.2.1 (& 10.2.2)- Improved validation rules in the ArcGIS metadata editor for all metadata styles

- Second ISO 19139 metadata style that will validate output using XML Schemas based on GML 3.2.1

- Small improvements when exporting CSDGM-format XML files



• ArcGIS metadata created in ArcCatalog, ArcMap, ArcGlobe, ArcScene is used by ArcGIS Pro- Project pane pop-up

- Project view

- Search

- Package

- Publish

What’s coming with ArcGIS Pro?



• Edit metadata using the same ArcGIS metadata editor as ArcCatalog, ArcMap, ArcGlobe, ArcScene - In Pro, the editor only includes the Item Description page for the first release

- Projects and map layers will support full metadata, but can’t provide it in the first release

• Metadata geoprocessing tools not yet available in first release

What’s coming with ArcGIS Pro?


Esri UC 2014 | Technical Workshop |Esri UC 2014 | Technical Workshop |

Tips and Tricks



ArcGIS Help system

• Use the ArcGIS Help system- In the TOC: Geodata > Data types > Metadata

- Search the Help system: metadata, FGDC, ISO




• If Description tab in use when setting the style, don’t see changes immediately- Click another tab then click Description tab again

- Click another item then click tab again




• Set the metadata style after install a new major release of ArcGIS for Desktop, e.g. 10.1, 10.2, 10.x



Metadata display

• Supports typical page shortcuts- Go to bottom: Ctrl-End

- Go to top: Ctrl-Home

- Copy highlighted text: Ctrl-C

- Find text on page: Ctrl-F



Copy metadata to another item

• Select the item you want to copy metadata to

• Click the Import button

• Use FROM_ARCGIS Import Type

• Set the source item from which you want to copy metadata- Metadata is copied, not transformed



Using a metadata template

• Create a template metadata document with standard text

• Start creating an item’s metadata using a template

• Select the item and import the template’s content- Source item is the template

• Click the Import button in the Description tab

• Set Import Type based on the template’s format (can still use an old one)- In ArcGIS format: use FROM_ARCGIS – no transformation

- In CSDGM format: use FROM_FGDC – content transformed to ArcGIS format

• Overwrites any existing metadata



Using a metadata template

• Need to update an old metadata template?

• Update it to work better in 10.x by converting it to the ArcGIS metadata format

• Select the template

• Click the Export button in the Description tab- For FGDC CSDGM-format: use FGDC2ESRI_ISO.xml translator



• Metadata Importer tool = save XML as an item’s metadata tool- Created first

• Import Metadata model = convert standard-format metadata to ArcGIS metadata, then save the result as an item’s metadata- Doesn’t overwrite an item’s thumbnail, geoprocessing history, etc.




“Save As” XML file

• Save a copy of an item’s metadata to disk

• Select the item

• Run the XSLT Transformation tool

• Select the “exact copy of.xslt” transformation

• Saves a copy of the original item’s metadata to an XML file without changing content



“Save As” HTML file

• Save a copy of the HTML you see in the metadata display

• Select the item

• Run the XSLT Transformation tool

• Select the “ArcGIS.xsl” transformation

• Extracts content from the item’s metadata and marks it up as an HTML file

• Viewing HTML: browser requires javascript to run

• “Allow Blocked Content” in IE



Upgrade metadata in geodatabases

• For enterprise geodatabases, make sure user who can edit data runs the tool

• Save a copy of metadata to disk as a precaution- Database views can’t have metadata in recent versions of the geodatabase

• Select the item



Rerun a metadata process

• Export or validate an item’s metadata, then update and run the process again

• After a metadata geoprocessing tool runs, the folder containing the output XML file is selected- Original item is no longer selected

• Reopen and rerun tools from the geoprocessing results window- Tool parameters already set appropriately



Modify metadata using an XSLT transformation

• Create a model following the example: Editing metadata for many ArcGIS items

Change the metadata Save the

changes



• Several XSLTs provided with software to perform well-known tasks

• Documented as part of the XSLT Transformation tool- Remove the geoprocessing history

- Remove internal information before exporting metadata for public consumption

- Remove CSDGM-format metadata elements after upgrading to the ArcGIS format

- And more…

Modify metadata using an XSLT transformation



Modify metadata using a Python script

• Python includes pyxml module that can modify the structure of an XML file

• Save an item’s metadata as an XML file

• Modify the XML file using a Python script

• Save the modified XML file back to the item- Use the Metadata Importer tool



Validate or generate CSDGM files with mp

• Many web sites leverage the HTML and text files produced by mp

• Export an item’s metadata to the CSDGM format

• Use the exported file as an input to the USGS MP Metadata Translator tool- Validate the XML file with mp

- Create other CSDGM file formats



Add a standard-format metadata XML file to a package

• A package includes the item’s ArcGIS metadata

• Supplement a package with a standard format metadata file

• Export metadata to the appropriate standard format XML files

• During packaging, add Additional Files

• When unpackaged, the package folder includes the attached files



Remaining metadata sessions at this UC

• Metadata Special Interest Group meeting- Today 5:30 - 7:00 Room 12

• Leveraging Metadata Standards for Supporting Interoperability in ArcGIS- Thursday 8:30 – 9:45 Room 32 B

• Working with Metadata in ArcGIS (Repeat of this presentation)- Thursday 10:15 – 11:45 Room 31 C

• Metadata and geoprocessing scripts - Thursday 10:00

- Mapping and Visualization Demo Theatre



Where to find us


Wednesday

Thursday


Thank you…

• Please fill out the session survey:

First Offering ID: 1693

Second Offering ID: 1647

Online – www.esri.com/ucsessionsurveys

Paper – pick up and put in drop box


Esri UC 2014 | Technical Workshop | Working with Metadata in ArcGIS

Documents

Working with Metadata in ArcGIS