The Excel files used to create a geodatabase in Defense Mapping Solution

The Microsoft Excel file that is used to generate a geodatabase consists of multiple worksheets based on the components of the geodatabase. The individual worksheets in the file contain the spatial reference, datasets, object classes, subtypes, fields, domains, and metadata you want to include in the database.

These worksheets have a specified format and cannot be altered. The information in the worksheets, other than the column names, can be modified.

The following sections describe the worksheets and the columns on each.

SpatialReferences worksheet

The SpatialReferences worksheet contains information about the spatial reference of the datasets containers and/or object classes. You can create one record for each spatial reference you want to use with the geodatabase, which allows you to specify the spatial reference for individual feature classes or datasets.

In the table shown below, there is only one spatial reference that is going to be used for the geodatabase: GCS_WGS_1984. However, if a different spatial reference was required for another dataset in the geodatabase, another record can be created for it on the SpatialReferences worksheet.

Example of the SpatialReferences worksheet

The table below describes each column on the Spatial References worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
SpatialReference_ID	An identifier that is used in the DatasetContainers or ObjectClasses worksheet	The identifier allows you to specify the spatial reference for a dataset or feature class.
Description	The name of the spatial reference to be used for the identified datasets or object classes
FactoryCode	The code for the coordinate system definition	The information on the following pages can be used to determine the factory code you need to use: esriSRGeoCSType Constants esriSRGeoCS2Type Constants esriSRGeoCS3Type Constants esriSRProjCSType Constants esriSRProjCS2Type Constants esriSRProjCS3Type Constants esriSRProjCS4Type Constants
SpatialReferenceString	Custom projection parameters
VerticalDescription	The name of the vertical coordinate system to be used for the identified datasets or object classes
VerticalFactoryCode	The code for the vertical coordinate system definition	The information on the following page can be used to determine the factory code you need to use: esriSRVerticalDatumTypeConstants
XMin	The minimum value for the x-coordinate of the defined bounding box of the data container	The x-coordinate is the longitude coordinate of the world axis.
YMin	The minimum value for the y-coordinate of the defined bounding box of the data container	The y-coordinate is the latitude coordinate of the world axis.
XMax	The maximum value for the x-coordinate of the defined bounding box of the data container
YMax	The maximum value for the y-coordinate of the defined bounding box of the data container
XYPrecision	The inverse of the XY resolution
ZMin	The minimum value for the z-coordinate of the defined bounding box of the dataset container
ZMax	The maximum value for the z-coordinate of the defined bounding box of the dataset container
ZPrecision	The inverse of the Z resolution
MMin	The minimum value for the m- or measurement coordinates of the defined bounding box of the dataset container	The m-coordinate is the measurement, or fourth dimension, of the world axis.
MMax	The maximum value for the m- or measurement coordinate of the defined bounding box of the dataset container
MPrecision	The inverse of the M resolution

Spatial Reference worksheet

DatasetContainers worksheet

The DatasetContainers worksheet contains information about the feature datasets, including the type and spatial reference. Each dataset is assigned a unique identifier that can then be referenced when you are creating object classes. In the table shown below, you can see that two datasets are going to be created in the geodatabase, MGCP and MGCP_Metadata, and that each one has a unique identification number associated with it.

Example of a DatasetContainers worksheet

The table below describes each column on the DatasetContainers worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
Dataset_ID	A unique identifier for the feature datasets that will be created	This number is used to reference the feature dataset in other worksheets.
CreateDataset	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the feature dataset is going to be created
DatasetType	Describes the ESRI dataset type constant, for example, feature dataset
DatasetName	The name of the dataset type that is going to be created
SpatialReference_ID	A reference to the spatial reference that is going to be used when the dataset type is created

DatasetContainers worksheet

ObjectClasses worksheet

The ObjectClasses worksheet contains information about the feature classes and tables that are going to be included in the geodatabase. This includes the datasets with which they are going to be associated and the data type for each feature class or table. In the table shown below, there are two datasets that are going to have object classes assigned to them.

Example of the ObjectClasses worksheet

The table below describes each column on the Object Classes worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
ObjectClass_ID	A unique identifier for the object classes (feature classes or tables) that are going to be created	This number is used to reference the object class in other worksheets.
Dataset_ID	A reference to the Dataset_ID column on the DatasetContainers worksheet	The value in this column determines which dataset is going to contain the feature class or table. If the feature class or table is not part of a dataset, the value in this column should be less than 1 (preferably -9999).
CreateObjectClass	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified object class is going to be created
ObjectClassName	The name of the object class that is going to be created	This name is subject to all the ArcMap restrictions on feature class and table names.
ObjectClassAlias	The alias name for the specified object class	This is the name users see in the table of contents when they add the object class to ArcMap.
ObjectClassDescription	An optional field that can be used to further describe the specified object class
ObjectClassDataType	The type of object class that is going to be created (feature class, table, and so forth)	Possible values for this column are as follows: esriDTFeatureClass—Feature classes (points, lines, and polygons) esriDTTable—Tables (nonspatial data)
ObjectClassFeatureType	The types of features that are going to be stored in the specified object class (simple, annotation, and so forth)	Possible values for this column are as follows: esriFTSimple—Simple features such as polygons, polylines, and points esriFTAnnotation—Place or object names or identifiers Leave this column blank for tables.
ObjectClassGeometry	Defines what type of feature geometry is going to be stored in the specified object class (point, line, and polygon)	Possible values for this column are as follows: esriFTGeometryPoint—A single zero dimensional geometry esriFTGeometryPolyline—An ordered collection of paths esriFTGeometryPolygon—A collection of rings ordered by their containment relationship Leave this column blank for tables.
SpatialReference_ID	A reference to the SpatialReference_ID column on the SpatialReferences worksheet
HasZ	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified object class is going to store z-values
HasM	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified object class is going to store m- (measure) values

Object Classes worksheet

Subtypes worksheet

The Subtypes worksheet contains information about the subtypes. This includes the unique identification number for each subtype as well as the feature class with which it is associated. For instance, in the table below, object class 1 has two subtypes, which are identified in the SubtypeNumber column as 0 and 1. When there are multiple subtypes in a feature class, you can choose to assign a default subtype to the feature class.

The table below describes each column on the Subtypes worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
Subtype_ID	A unique identifier for the subtypes	It is used on other worksheets to reference the subtype.
ObjectClass_ID	A reference to the ObjectClass_ID column on the ObjectClasses worksheet	The value in this column determines which feature class is going to contain the subtype.
CreateSubtype	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified subtype is going to be created
SubtypeField	The integer field in the feature class that stores the subtype codes
SubtypeNumber	The integer value that serves as the code for the specified subtype
SubtypeName	The name of the subtype that is going to be created
SubtypeDescription	An optional description of the specified subtype
SubtypeDefault	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified subtype is the default subtype for a feature class	If there are multiple rows for one feature class (that is, it contains multiple subtypes), only one of those rows should contain a value of "True" in this column because there can only be one default.

Subtypes worksheet

Fields worksheet

The Fields worksheet contains information about the fields on the feature classes, including the object classes, subtypes, and domains with which they are associated. There is one entry per field for each subtype or feature class. This means that if you have the same field in multiple feature classes, it must be added for each feature class and subtype. For instance, in the table shown below, FCSubtype, GFID, and F_CODE are fields that are included in both subtypes for object class 1.

Example of the Fields worksheet

The table below describes each column on the Fields worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
Field_ID	A unique identifier for the field for a subtype or feature class
ObjectClass_ID	A reference to the ObjectClass_ID column on the ObjectClasses worksheet	The value in this column determines which feature class or table is going to contain the field.
Subtype_ID	A reference to the Subtype_ID column on the Subtypes worksheet	The value in this column determines which subtype is going to contain the field. If the feature class defined in the ObjectClass_ID field does not contain any subtypes, use -9999.
CreateField	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the field is going to be created
FieldName	The name of the field that is going to be created	This name is subject to all the ArcMap restrictions on field names. Field names in the same table or feature class must be unique (you cannot have two fields with the same name).
FieldAlias	The alias name (alternate name) of the field	The field alias can be used to show a more descriptive version of the field name.
FieldDescription	An optional field that can be used to further describe the field
FieldDomainName	The name of the coded value or range domain associated with the field	If the specified field is not constrained by an attribute domain, then the Field Domain Name value should be left blank.
FieldType	The types of values that are going to be stored in the field (text, integer, and so forth)	Possible values for this field include the following: esriFieldTypeBlob—OLE Object esriFieldTypeDate—Date/Time field esriFieldTypeDouble—Number, Double, field esriFieldTypeGlobalID—Number, Replication ID, field esriFieldTypeInteger—Number, Long Integer, field esriFieldTypeString—Text field
FieldDefaultValue	The default value for the field
FieldEditable	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the field can be edited
FieldIsNullable	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the field can contain null values
FieldLength	The maximum number of allowable characters for the field value	This option is only applicable for String or BLOB field types.
FieldPrecision	The number of digits that can be stored in the field	All digits are counted, regardless of what side of the decimal they are on. This column is only used for Double and Integer field types.
FieldScale	The number of decimal places stored in a field	This column is only used for Double field types.
Mandatory	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the field is required

Fields worksheet

Domains worksheet

The Domains worksheet contains information about coded value and range domains. The domains can be created to populate a more general range of values, such as an existence category, or they can be created specifically for a feature class or subtype field. With some databases, the individual subtypes themselves can be domain values.

In this table, a unique Domain_ID value is assigned to each possible domain value, and the values are then grouped based on the domain name.

Example of the Domains worksheet

The table below describes each column on the Domains worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
Domain_ID	A unique identifier for each domain value
CreateDomain	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the domain is going to be created
Name	The name of the domain	This name is subject to all the ArcMap restrictions on domain names.
Description	An optional field that can be used to further describe the domain
DomainCode	A number that represents a value in a coded domain	This column is applicable to the Coded Domain data type.
DomainMin	The minimum value of a range domain
DomainMax	The maximum value of a range domain
DomainDescription	A description of what the coded value represents	This column is applicable to the Coded Domain data type.
DomainDataType	The type of domain (Coded Value or Range)	Possible values for this column are as follows: esriDTRange—Range Domain esriDTCodedValue—Coded Value Domain
DomainFieldType	The types of values to be stored in the domain (text, integer, and so forth)	This value should be the same as the Field Type value on the Fields worksheet for any fields with which the domain is associated. Possible values for this column are as follows: esriFieldTypeDouble—Number, Double field esriFieldTypeInteger—Number, Long Integer field esriFieldTypeString—Text field
DomainSplitPolicy	The behavior of an attribute's values when a feature that is split is controlled by a split policy	Possible values for this column are as follows: esriSPTDefaultValue—The two resulting features inherit the default value of the specified feature class or subtype attribute. esriSPTDuplicate—The two resulting features inherit a copy of the original object's attribute value. esriSPTGeometryRatio —The attributes of resulting features are a ratio of the original feature's value. The ratio is based on the proportion into which the original geometry is divided. If the geometry is divided equally, each new feature's attribute gets one-half the value of the original object's attribute. The geometry ratio policy only applies to range domains.
DomainMergePolicy	The behavior of attribute values when two features are merged into a single feature	Possible values for this column are as follows: esriMPTAreaWeighted—The attribute of the resulting feature is the weighted average of the attribute values of the original features. This average is based on the original feature's geometry. The area weighted policy only applies to range domains. esriMPTDefaultValue—The attribute of the resulting feature inherits the default value of the attribute of the specified feature class or subtype. This is the only merge policy that applies to nonnumeric fields and coded value domains. esriMPTSumValues—The attribute of the resulting feature inherits the sum of the values from the original feature's attribute. The sum values policy only applies to range domains.

Domains worksheet

MetaInfo worksheet

The MetaInfo worksheet contains information about feature class-level metadata items that is used to create fields on the newly created feature class. Having metadata items defined on the MetaInfo worksheet will allow you to include that set of fields on any feature class. For instance, in the graphic below, the fields that are listed on the MetaInfo worksheet create a set of metadata attributes that can be added to all the feature classes in the database.

Example of the MetaInfo worksheet

This is done on the Fields worksheet, where you can have a row that contains the PLTSMETAINFO keyword in the Field Name column. In the example below, row 17 of the Fields worksheet uses PLTSMETAINFO as the field name, meaning that the attributes listed on the MetaInfo worksheet are all going to be added to the end as metadata for the feature class. This eliminates the need to repetitively add metadata fields to every applicable feature class.

Example of the Fields worksheet

The table below describes each column on the MetaInfo worksheet and provides details about the types of information that can populate each one, as applicable.

Column name	Description	Notes/Comments
MetaInfo_ID	A unique identifier for the metadata field
ObjectClass_ID	A reference to the ObjectClass_ID column on the ObjectClasses worksheet	This reference is not needed for the MetaInfo worksheet; use -9999.
Subtype_ID	A reference to the Subtype_ID column on the Subtypes worksheet	This reference is not needed for the MetaInfo worksheet; use -9999.
CreateMetaInfo	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified metadata field is going to be created
MetaInfoName	The name of the metadata field that will be created	This name is subject to all the ArcMap restrictions on field names. Field names in the same table or feature class must be unique (you cannot have two fields with the same name).
MetaInfoAlias	The alias name (alternate name) of the metadata field	The metadata field alias name can be used to show a more descriptive version of the metadata field name.
MetaInfoDescription	An optional field that can be used to further describe the specified metadata field
MetaInfoDomainName	The name of the coded value or range domain associated with the metadata field	If the specified metadata field is not constrained by an attribute domain, then MetaInfoDomainName should be blank.
MetaInfoFieldType	The types of values that will be stored in the specified metadata field (text, integer, and so forth)	Possible values include the following: esriFieldTypeBlob— OLE Object esriFieldTypeDate—Date/Time field esriFieldTypeDouble—Number, Double field esriFieldTypeGlobalID—Number, Replication ID field esriFieldTypeInteger—Number, Long Integer field esriFieldTypeString—Text field
MetaInfoDefaultValue	The default value of the metadata field
MetaInfoEditable	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the metadata field can be edited
MetaInfoIsNullable	A Boolean field that indicates whether or not the specified metadata field can contain null values
MetaInfoLength	The maximum number of allowable characters for each record of the metadata field	This option is only applicable for metadata fields that are String or BLOB field types.
MetaInfoPrecision	The number of digits that can be stored in the metadata field	All digits are counted, regardless of what side of the decimal they are on. This parameter is only used in Double and Integer metadata field types.
MetaInfoScale	The number of decimal places stored in a metadata field	This is only applicable in Double data field types.

MetaInfo worksheet