Some Concepts That Underpin GIS - Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS - page 36

programs, and so on. The file will evolve as you study. For the moment, start the file and keep it
open. It should at least contain the following:
Name: __________________________________________________
User or Logon Identifier: ___________________________________
Password hint or secure location: ___________________________
Do not save the file yet.
Understanding the File Structure for the Exercises
You will be working primarily with two major folders or directories. The first of these folders will be IGIS-Arc. It
will contain the data for the exercises. It will start off as, and will remain, a direct copy of the IGIS-Arc folder
that is on the DVD in the back of the topic. If you are in class, operating off a network, your instructor will
probably have put this folder somewhere in the network file structure. If you are using this topic on your own,
you should load the IGIS-Arc folder that is on the DVD directly onto your local hard drive. In either case, the
IGIS-Arc folder should be protected so that changes cannot be made to it.
2. Locate or create the IGIS-Arc folder. It may be in the root folder of a hard drive on your computer,
or it may be several levels down in a hierarchy. Whenever it is referred to in this textbook, it will
be represented as:
[___]IGIS-Arc
The symbols [___] might represent something as simple as C:\ or it might be a long path such as:
U:\ABCNet\GIS_Students\GIS401
Write the path you will associate with the symbol [___] below:
[___] means _________________________________________________________.
You will use a second folder to store the work that you do. It will be specifically yours; your initials will be
made part of the folder name. For example, if your name were John W. Stephenson, the folder would be
called IGIS-Arc_JWS. In the next step, you will create this folder.
3. Decide where on the computer or network you want to store your work. Use the operating system
of the computer to make a new folder by navigating to and selecting the appropriate drive or path,
clicking the New Folder button in Windows 7 or, in Windows XP, opening the File Menu, and clicking
Folder when it shows up under New. Once the folder is created, change its name to
IGIS-Arc_ YourInitials
(For example, IGIS-Arc_JWS).
In this textbook the simple blank, ___ will designate the disk drive and/or path to the folder
where you keep your work.