Creating feature-level metadata

In a geodatabase, you may have fields on feature classes or tables that you want to automatically populate when a feature or table row is created or modified. For instance, all the feature classes could include a CREATE_DATE field that contains the date on which the feature was created and a MODIFY_DATE that contains the date on which the feature was modified. Ideally, both of these fields should be populated automatically based on the system date and time.

Using the Field Configuration Manager, you can create feature-level metadata fields that can be populated with the current date, user name, a domain value, or a custom value that you define. These fields can be updated when a feature or table row is created or modified. For example, you can configure the CREATE_DATE field so it is populated with the current date when a feature or table row is created only. Since these fields can only be configured through the Edit Shared Fields dialog box, you can apply the metadata to all the feature classes and tables that contain the same field across the geodatabase. It is then stored with the other field configurations in the field configuration table.

Once the feature-level metadata has been configured in the field configuration table, you can create metadata favorites in the Feature Manager and customize certain metadata values. For example, if the field is going to be populated with a domain, you can choose the exact domain value that should be applied to the feature or table row when it is created or updated.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. If necessary, load data in the map.
3. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Editing.
4. On the Production Editing toolbar, click Production Editing > Field Configuration Manager.

   If you have not already created a field configuration table, proceed to the next step. If a field configuration table has already been created, proceed to step 6.

5. If necessary, follow the wizard to create a new field configuration table.

   The Field Configuration dialog box appears.

6. Click Create Configuration.

   The Creating Field Configurations window appears with a progress bar. Once the processing is complete, the Field Configuration dialog box appears.

7. Click Tables to Edit.

   The Choose Product Class Tables to Edit dialog box appears with a list of feature classes and tables in the data model.

8. Check the check boxes next to the feature classes and tables in the Choose Table(s) to Edit list whose filters you want to edit.
   Tip:

   You can right-click in the list and click Select All or Clear All to check or uncheck all the check boxes, respectively. You can also right-click in the list and click Expand All or Collapse All to respectively display or hide all the subtypes within the feature classes.

9. Click OK.

   The Field Configuration dialog box appears with the selected feature classes and tables in the Current Fields Configuration Table list.

10. Click Edit Shared Fields on the Field Configuration dialog box.

    The Edit Shared Fields dialog box appears.

    Tip:

    You can also right-click in the Current Fields Configuration Table list and click Edit Shared Fields to open the Edit Shared Fields dialog box.

11. Right-click the field you want to use as feature-level metadata, then click Metadata Field.
12. Right-click the feature-level metadata field again, then choose the metadata type that is appropriate for the field.

    To populate the field with the current date	Click Metadata Type > Date.
    To populate the field with a user name	Click Metadata Type > User Name.
    To populate the field based on domain values	Click Metadata Type > Domain, then choose the domain you want to use as possible values for the field.
    To populate the field with any other type of data	Click Metadata Type > Other. Note: When you choose Other, you can specify the value that is going to populate the field in a text box. The value can be defined when you create a metadata favorite.

13. Right-click the feature-level metadata field again, then choose the event type that is going to cause the value to update.
    Note:

    By default, both the Create and Update Events are selected.

    To update the field only when a feature or table row is created	Click Metadata Events > Update to uncheck the Update option.
    To update the field only when a feature or table row is modified	Click Metadata Events > Create to uncheck the Create option.

14. Check the check boxes next to the names of the tables to which you want to apply the feature-level metadata in the Choose Table(s) to Apply Shared Edits list.
    Tip:

    To indicate that the filter applies to all feature classes, you can right-click in the Choose Table(s) to Apply Shared Edits list and choose Select All.

15. Click OK when you are finished setting up the feature-level metadata.

    The Field Configuration dialog box appears.

16. Click OK.