The Metadata Tool

Custom Metadata Tool

Who this tool is for:

• This tool designed to be used a data management system.

• This tool is geared more for the GIS manager and not someone that just needs a few metadata records

History of the Tool

• The tool has been designed over the last five years. Bob Smith with the Idaho Department of Lands originally wrote the code in

• 1994. Frank Roberts then received the code in 1995 and has been further developing it since then.

Coeur d’Alene Tribe Metadata Use• The Tribe is currently the data repository for

Tribal-Federal litigation that’s occurring

• At this time we have over 3000 GIS layers

• It is very important that we have a good handle on who’s data we have and where it’s at.

• We use our system to serve data up to all of the natural resources staff. We need to be able to manage those users accounts.

Metadata tool

• We created a tool that will make metadata on the fly

• It will satisfy all the required elements of the FGDC standard

• More importantly it allows me to track what data we have and query the database for coverages and items

What makes the tool different

1.All you have to do is run the AML and it builds the metadata for you. You don't have to sit for hours on end entering data into a form.

2.Use the power of ArcInfo to go out and get all the information that you need for metadata such as projections, attribute values, spatial extents, and other values that are already stored in ArcInfo so you don't have to key it in!

3.Create a relational database that you can search.

4.If written as a batch process. You can create metadata for every GIS layer on your system, while you're having fun on the weekend.

5.It creates metadata in a form that when you export a GIS layer, the metadata travels in the export file. So other people that get your data will have the metadata. So, you don't have to worry about sending an extra file when you hand out your data.

6.The metadata that is created is compatible with ArcInfo Version 8's metadata model and is also in a compliant FGDC metadata format.

7.It runs on both NT and Unix operating systems.

8.It's free.

How to get the metadata tool

• The tool is available for download at the website:– http://www.geocities.com/frank_m_roberts/metadatatool.html

• The tool runs within ArcInfo (7.* or 8.*)

• It will run on both Unix and NT OS

Data requirements of the tool

1.The GIS layers must be valid ArcInfo Coverage or Grid.

2.The GIS layer must not have any items in it that use the "%" sign in their name.

3.The layers should have a projection associated with them.

How metadata helps us

• Findcover.aml: queries database and gives me a quick list of locations and descriptions of coverages.

• ArcView Spatial Query tool: allows us to point at a section and determine what coverages exist in that area.

• ArcView Item Query tool: allows us to ask database for coverages that have certain items.

How to Install it.

• Down load the file off of the web page• Execute the file or un-tar the file into a

directory• at the Arc Prompt run the setup aml. ( &run

setup.aml)• Modify the contact.inf info file found in the

directory, by updating with your information (Eg. Name, Address….)

How to run it.

• At the Arc Prompt type:– &r metadata <cover>

Where the data is stored

• There are three different places the data is stored:– log file: The data is added to the existing

coverage or grid log file– metadata.xml: a metadata.xml file is created if

one doesn’t already exist.– In the relational databases (Info).

Export of data for NSDI or Web use.

• Data can be exported using two different techniques.

• The xml file can be viewed in ArcCatalog and then exported into HTML, SGML, FAQ.

• The xml file can also be read by Metadata Parser (MP). It is free piece of software that was made by Peter N. Schweitzer and is available from the USGS. It can be downloaded at the following site: http://geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/

• The following is the syntax to the xml file using MP:

mp metadata.xml -c esri.cfg -h metadata.html

Viewing the data in the log

• To view the data in the log file you just need to type the following at the Arc Prompt: log <cover>

Viewing the metadata.xml• Xml files can be

viewed using either the ArcInfo 8 Arc Catalog or any xml capable browser, such as Internet Explorer 5.*

Viewing and searching the relational database

• The database for all metadata are in the metadata tools installation directory.

• They are stored as info files and can be view using ArcInfo or Arcview.

• The info files can also be exported to DBFs that could be brought into other databases.

Changing Views of xml file

Level of Detail

• The level of detail of metadata can be varied.

• I break the detail into 4 levels

• 1 being very low detail• 4 being very

descriptive detail

Level 1

• This level is most basic level.• All general descriptive information is

stored about the GIS layer (Eg. Projection, items, contact person, organization)

• All that must be done is run the aml.

Level 2

• What you have to do: Open up the METADATA.INF database with your favorite Info file editor. Find the records for the GIS layer your are interested in describing. In the field called DATASETDES, write in the description of the GIS file. By default this will have the GIS layer's name. An example is that the by default the value found in DATASETDES may be "ROADS", you may want the description to be more verbose, such as "The Transportation layer for North Idaho". Once you have entered this information and saved your changes, you then should re-run METADATA.AML on the layer. This will force the change that you have made to be added to both the log file and the XML file.

Level 3, Directory Level Metadata

• What you have to do: Using your favorite Info database editor, modify the DIRECTORIES.INF database, so that you identify all the major directories that you have data contained in on your system. Make sure to enter the following information into the database: Intended Scale, Source Contact, Project Name, and Intended Use. Then re-run METADATA.AML on your data layers. (Typically the second run on of the METADATA.AML on a data layers is faster, since some of the data is already created.)

Level 4, Item Level Metadata

• What you have to do: Run the AML on as many of your GIS layers as you can, this will populate the METAITEMS.INF database with all the non-ArcInfo items found in the coverages. Then either use the Frequency command in ArcInfo or the Summarize button in ArcView to get all the possible names found in the " ITEM " field in METAITEMS.INF. This should give you a list of all the non-ArcInfo items found in the GIS layers you have ran through the METADATA.AML. You then can add the items found using the Frequency or Summarization to the ITEMNAMES.INF database. Each of the items added to ITEMNAMES.INF should also have the corresponding DESCRIPTION and UNITOFMEASURE fields

populated.

Level 5, Geographic Keyword

Who’s Using the tool

• At this time I’ve had over 500 visitors to the site.

• I have received emails for people all over the world that are currently using the tool.

• The tool has received some good press via the ESRI-L list server.

Pro’s and Cons

• It’s free• It’ll make a lot of

metadata fast• It runs on both Unix

and NT• It runs on both 7.* and

8.* ArcInfo• You get a searchable

database

• You get what you pay for

• Support is somewhat limited

• It requires ArcInfo• It probably won’t be

needed in another 2 years

Thanks for listening!

http://www.geocities.com/frank_m_roberts/metadatatool.html