What is ArcGIS Desktop?

Summary ArcGIS Desktop includes a suite of integrated applications, including ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox. By using these applications and interfaces in unison, you can perform any GIS task, simple to advanced, including mapping, geographic analysis, data editing and compilation, data management, visualization, and geoprocessing.

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What are ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo?

ArcGIS Desktop is the information authoring and usage tool for GIS professionals. It is scalable as three separate software products to meet the needs of many types of users.
  • ArcView provides comprehensive mapping and analysis tools along with simple editing and geoprocessing.
  • ArcEditor includes advanced editing capabilities for shapefiles and geodatabases in addition to the full functionality of ArcView.
  • ArcInfo is the flagship ArcGIS Desktop product. It builds on the functionality of ArcEditor with advanced geoprocessing. It also includes the legacy applications for ArcInfo Workstation.
Because ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo all share a common architecture, users working with any of these GIS desktops can share their work with other users. Maps, data, symbology, map layers, custom tools and interfaces, reports, metadata, and so on, can be accessed interchangeably in all three products. This means that you benefit from using a single architecture, minimizing the need to learn and deploy several different architectures.
New capabilities can be added to all seats through a series of ArcGIS Desktop extensions from ESRI and other organizations. Users can also develop their own custom extensions to ArcGIS Desktop by working with ArcObjects, the ArcGIS software component library. Users develop extensions and custom tools using standard Windows programming interfaces, such as COM and .NET.
ArcObjects is a framework that lets you create domain-specific components from other components. The ArcObjects components collaborate to serve every data management and map presentation function common to most GIS applications. ArcObjects provides an infrastructure for application customization that lets you concentrate on serving the specific needs of your clients.

What are ArcMap and ArcCatalog?

ArcMap

ArcMap is the central application in ArcGIS Desktop. It is the GIS application used for all map-based tasks, including cartography, map analysis, and editing. In this application, you work with maps. Maps have a page layout containing a geographic window, or a data frame, with a series of layers, legends, scalebars, North arrows, and other elements. ArcMap offers different ways to view a map's geographic data and layout views in which you can perform a broad range of advanced GIS tasks.
ArcMap is used for mapping and editing tasks as well as map-based analysis.

ArcCatalog

The ArcCatalog application helps you organize and manage all of your GIS information (maps, globes, datasets, models, metadata, services, and so on). It includes tools to:
  • Browse and find geographic information.
  • Record, view, and manage metadata.
  • Define geodatabase schemas and designs.
  • Administer an ArcGIS Server.
  • Search for and discover GIS data on local networks and the Web.
GIS users apply ArcCatalog to organize, find, and use GIS data as well as to document their data holdings using standards-based metadata. A GIS database administrator uses ArcCatalog to define and build geodatabases. A GIS server administrator uses ArcCatalog to administer the GIS server framework.
ArcCatalog is used for managing your spatial data holdings, defining your geographic data schemas, and recording and viewing metadata.