Some Concepts That Underpin GIS - Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS - page 84

Return to ArcCatalog
4. The remainder of the help system under Contents is a hierarchical nested set of “topics.”
When you get down to the bottom of a given hierarchy, you will find a help document. For
example, in version 10.0, use the “+” icon in front of Professional Library, then Geoprocessing
> Introduction and finally the text What is Geoprocessing. For version 10.1 go straight to the
Geoprocessing topic, then Introduction and finally the text What is Geoprocessing. Read the
first page or so of the document and then scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find
Related Topics. To get back to previous screens, click the Back arrow at the top of the window.
5. Check out What's new and, within that, A quick tour of what's new. If you continue to use GIS
after you finish this textbook, you will undoubtedly be faced with newer versions the software.
6. Right-Click any entry in the left pane. Click Open All. Scroll down through the pane. It may be
daunting to see how much information there is, because of its implication for the size of the
software package. That's why they will pay you the big bucks when you know how to use it.
Right-click again and select Close All.
7. Click the topmost entry: Welcome to . . . Read the section.
8. Look at the buttons across the top of the help window. List them:
____________________, _______________, ____________________, _______________,
____________________, _______________.
9. To do this step, you may have to download the Windows 7 help file viewer, which, unfortunately,
doesn't come with ArcGIS. You might require assistance from your system administrator or
instructor.
Press the Search tab. Type
“catalog tree” thumbnail.
Click Ask. About how many topics are found? _________. Add the phrase
“large icons”
and press Ask again. Open A quick tour of ArcCatalog
and scroll through until you see the Standard Toolbar section. Review the material to refresh
your knowledge of that. Close the ArcGIS Desktop Help window.
ArcGIS Help across the Internet
10. Click Help on the ArcCatalog Main menu. Click the ArcGIS Resource Center. If your computer
is connected to the Internet, you will get to resources.esri.com, which provides interesting
information. Spend some time looking at the Web page. Click on the tabs at the top of the
page, and look at the drop-down menus. With a browser look at support.esri.com.