VidaGIS

ArcGIS is a name used to identify an ESRI software products including ArcView, ArcEditor và ArcInfo. Users normally have confusion of defining the concepts between ArcGIS and ArcView.

In fact, ArcGIS is a general concept. When purchasing and setting up the software, users have to define and choose one of them such as ArcView, ArcEditor or ArcInfo. It depends on their demand and financial resource of each organization.

ArcView is the lowest price in the ESRI’s software products, this one supports number of principal functions for viewing, creating, displaying and analyzing GIS database and creating graphs, making reports also. ArcView is used very popular all over the world because it supports users many useful tools for working with geographical information, especially in update and data management. This product satisfy with crowded end-users.

ArcEditor and ArcInfo are quite similar with ArcView. However, their level of functionalitly is increased and complemented from ArcView to ArcEditor to ArcInfo. ArcInfo is the most full-function software product released by ESRI. That means, with ArcInfo, we can use all the functions which are available in ArcEditor or ArcView and you also can use all the tools of ArcView if you are using ArcEditor.

ArcEditor will be complemented and found more useful tools to concentrate on editing geodatabase. For example, In spatial database standardization we have to use Topology tool for making data integrity in spatial validation. This work can be done if users work with ArcEditor at least.

Besides, when we work with multiple GIS database format the conversion will be complemented by the help of tools. For example, if you want to export CAD format to ArcGIS database formats, you are required to purchase ArcInfo software package and ArcInfo only. That is the reason why the price of ArcInfo is the highest in their family software.

In larger enterprise, for instance, the sharing and managering enterprise geodatabase in the same time with multi-users, the enterprise geodatabases allow a number of users can access, edit and update information at the same time. To edit Enterprise geodatabase concurrently, the organization need to purchase ArcEditor at least.

When setting up ArcView, ArcEditor or ArcInfo, customers will work with three applications including ArcMap, ArcCatalog and ArcToolbox. They are always available in any product mentioned above. With ArcMap, user can display, query, analyze, edit data, and create maps and reports as well. With ArcCatalog, this application allows us manage data such as delete, rename, copy and move database. ArcToolbox is the application which stores analyzing tools in ArcGIS specially. This helps people can search tools quickly and easily. The manipulation with these tools is special and useful.

For each organization, when users need to purchase any ArcGIS product, they have to clarify their technical requirement for using tools in software and make sure their financial aspect to choose the best one which fits both of them.