Working with map documents

This topic provides an overview of working with map documents as a developer in ArcGIS Engine..

In ArcGIS, a map document is a file that contains one or more maps, one page layout, and the associated layers, tables, charts, and reports. Map document files have an .mxd extension. Map documents are the most common way to persist and distribute maps and other cartographic information for data.

Map documents can be accessed and opened by several different components in ArcGIS. The component chosen typically depends on the ArcGIS product being used and the situation. As an ArcGIS Engine developer, the most common way to access and modify an map document is through either the MapControl, PageLayoutControl, or the MapDocument class.

ArcGIS Engine provides a number of controls for embedding ArcGIS components in your application. Both the MapControl and PageLyoutControl work with map documents as a means to quickly display documents. They also provide some update capabilities. For more information on working with these controls see:

Using the ArcGIS Engine controls
Using the MapControl
Using the PageLayoutControl

The MapDocument class provides the ability to read and modify commonly accessed properties of a map document. MapDocument presents a simplified form of the map document as application specific items are not accessible. In fact, updating the document will drop these items from the document storage. Despite these limitations, MapDocument is useful for batch operations, low level document access, and modification of simple map documents. For instance, if you wished to update data paths for many map document files, you can write an application to loop through the files, open them with MapDocument, update the contents and save the document.

For more information of working with the Map and PageLayout objects, see Working with the map and Working with the page layout. These topics also contain references to more detailed topics on items within them such as layers and elements.

The MapReader class is a simplified form or MapDocument that only provides read-only access to map document properties. Use this class when you wish to read documents but not update them.

For more information of working with the Map and PageLayout objects, see Working with the map and Working with the page layout. These topics also contain references to more detailed topics on items within them such as layers and elements.