ArcObjects Library Reference (GeoDatabase)  

IFeatureDataset Interface

Provides access to create a new feature class in a feature dataset.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Members

Description
Read/write property BrowseName The browse name of the dataset.
Method CanCopy True if this dataset can be copied.
Method CanDelete True if this dataset can be deleted.
Method CanRename True if this dataset can be renamed.
Read-only property Category The category of the dataset.
Method Copy Copies this dataset to a new dataset with the specified name.
Method CreateFeatureClass Creates a new FeatureClass in this FeatureDataset.
Method Delete Deletes this dataset.
Read-only property FullName The associated name object.
Read-only property Name The name of the Dataset.
Read-only property PropertySet The set of properties for the dataset.
Method Rename Renames this Dataset.
Read-only property Subsets Datasets contained within this dataset.
Read-only property Type The type of the Dataset.
Read-only property Workspace The workspace containing this dataset.

Inherited Interfaces

Interfaces Description
IDataset Provides access to members that supply dataset information.

CoClasses that implement IFeatureDataset

CoClasses and Classes Description
FeatureDataset ESRI Feature Dataset object.

Remarks

Feature classes that store simple features can be organized either inside or outside a feature dataset. Those outside a feature dataset are called standalone feature classes. Feature classes which store topological features, for example those participating in geometric networks, must be contained within a feature dataset to ensure a common spatial reference.

A FeatureDataset is a dataset that exists only in a geodatabase workspace and all the datasets contained in the FeatureDataset are also part of the same geodatabase. When programming with feature classes, you need to remember that the feature class may or may not belong to a feature dataset.

Each dataset in a geodatabase must have a unique name. In particular, each feature class in a geodatabase must have a unique name, independent of its containing feature dataset. Note that this is different from a file system model where two folders may contain files with the same local name within the folder.

The OpenFeatureClass method available in the IFeatureWorkspace interface on a workspace may be used to open any feature class in the workspace, including both stand-alone feature classes and feature classes within a feature dataset, given the (unique) name of the feature class.

A FeatureDataset is a dataset that contains feature classes that share the same spatial reference as the Feature Dataset. FeatureDatasets can also contain Geometric Networks and Relationship Classes.

See Also

IDataset Interface | IFeatureClass Interface