Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3. Modeling Geodatabases
In the previous chapter, we managed to complete a geodatabase, create feature classes, add
attributes, work with domains, and so much more. However, it was a quick and rough
design, not very efficient. We also had multiple feature classes which are almost identical.
They have some differences, but they share a lot of attributes. You may imagine that if I
ask you to delete an attribute in your geodatabase or change its size, you will have to do it
in all these feature classes. We had to repeat a lot of steps and duplicate fields between the
different feature classes, and that is because we didn't spend time on designing a proper
model for our geodatabase.
Modeling geodatabases is important; it allows you to identify the weak points in your
geodatabase design before implementing it physically. The moment you commit to a design
and start populating your geodatabase, it becomes expensive to modify the schema. In this
chapter, we will work on remodeling the
Bestaurant
geodatabase by creating an entity
relationship diagram, a powerful modeling tool.
Note
An entity relationship diagram is a modeling tool for designing a database. It illustrates the
different entities in a database and the relationships between them.
