idea Improve Arc Catalog Functionality in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

SteveH — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 13:59:53 GMT

The more I work with ArcCatalog to build a Spatial Data Catalogue the more I find out what a difficult and limited tool it is to work with.
Here are some ideas to improve it's functionality and ease of use.

Auto refresh - having to manually refresh EACH individual folder in each view when ever changes are made is absurd.
Schema Locks - if the file has been removed from Arcmap, ArcCatalog needs to know this. Having to shut down Arcmap every time you need to use the files in Catalog is a serious concern.
Geoprocessing tools do not recognise the .vbs or .apl files associated with ArcPad Studio files. Create a new file through a geo-processing tool or try to import/export to a geodatabase and loose all associated ArcPad functionality.
A "back" button would be nice.
Delete files to recycle bin!!
Toggle automatically between Contents and Preview tabs depending on whether you select a folder or a file in the tree-view.
Improved drag and drop functionality - so often it just doesn't work.
Keyboard shortcuts like "ctrl c" don't work

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

JackZHANG — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:20:06 GMT

I stronly recommend ESRI to adopt the idea of Recycle Bin in ArcCatalog

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

JohnTaylor9 — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:02:30 GMT

All the above are items I'd like to see implemented as well. This has been missing for a long time.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

GraemeBrowning — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:13:06 GMT

Not sure that ArcCatalog itself should be enhanced now that it appears to be in the process of being fully superseded by the Catalog Window of ArcMap. Perhaps a new idea could be submitted that addresses just what's needed in Catalog Window - I think the Schema Locks issue is one from the above that is already addressed there.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

AndrewLonie — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:30:07 GMT

yes, schema locks. lack of auto refresh, lack of standard keyboard cut, copy, paste commands are a real drawback.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

JurajKrumpolec — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 23:29:51 GMT

ArcCatalog should provide additional needed functionality and better cooperation with ArcMap.

NEW FUNCTIONALITY:

Editing of attributes (field calculator at least)
New intelligent, automated and comfortable lost sources management of map documents with minimum user involvement
Separate Contents/Preview/Description tabs into individual windows

INTERACTIVITY ENHANCEMENTS:

Preview of multiple layers at once in one or more windows:
- Show joint preview of selected layers
- Show joint preview of all layers contained in the selected folder
Interactive comparison of selected layer’s geography or attributes with intelligent identification and evaluation of differences (even within GDB)
Direct link for geography and table preview (toolbar icon, context menu choice and direct keyboard shortcut - not a drop-down list)
Drag&drop a whole folder to ArcMap as a group
Additional columns in details view: coordinate system, alias, type of geometry (for sorting), created date, version of file GDB, various Raster Dataset Properties (like pyramids, statistics), author and other
Thumbnails automatically and instantly generated for all files (image, vector and MXD)
Extended functionality used in standard file management applications: Open with… (e.g. ArcMap, Excel), Open destination in… (e.g. Windows Explorer), installed compression software usage
Besides back also a forward button
Measure tools

ISSUES TO IMPROVE:

Size and modified columns in detailed view by default
Improve slow folder listing (mainly geodatabases)
Possibility to select more files then one in Catalog Tree
Missing field properties choice in table preview field context menu
Possibility to change destination of connected folder
Import field structure to a new SHP
Synchronize context menus in details and thumbnails view

NOTES:

Ctrl+C/X/V is not applicable when renaming file
Drag&drop doesn’t work when thumbnails view is on

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

KarlWilson — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:31:01 GMT

The lack of multiple select for files in the ArcCatalog window is very annoying

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

DennisSkultety — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:20:47 GMT

These changes are needed both in ArcCatalog and the catalog windows.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

RayMangan — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:36:28 GMT

Why is there no trash can in catalog? Seriously, how hard can this be to implement?

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

DanielConstable2 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:39:12 GMT

I support all the previous comments. It is amazing to me that such simple tasks as selecting multiple files or auto-refreshing cannot be done in ArcMap.

In addition, it would be nice if ArcCatalog remembered my last layout... I have to re-open the tools and search windows every single time I open the catalog.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

SkylerDewey1 — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:37:29 GMT

Recycle Bin please. The excessive freezing up in 10 lead to an accidental deletion.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

Celeste_SuliinBurris — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:56:35 GMT

The fact I have to quit and restart ArcCatalog just to release a lock is absurd!! Please fix this.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

KenStuder — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:39:48 GMT

Add the ability to zip data from the context menu automatically. Where shape files have a one to many relationship and perhaps on other related objects, it would be good to be able to select an object (or multiple objects) and have the option to generate a compressed package.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

toddsams — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:52:14 GMT

Delete files to the recycle bin!!

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

DavidWheelock — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 21:03:20 GMT

This will probably not happen. I am not an ESRI employee. However, this is my assessment of the current situation.

At this point ESRI has basically put ArcMap and ArcCatalog out to pasture. They will still be supported and bugs fixed for some years to come, but, most likely, no new features will be added.

In fact, in the current ESRI road-show/seminar, only ArcGIS Pro, Server and Online are on the agenda. ArcMap and ArcCatalog are not even mentioned.

If you want a new feature, see if it's in Pro. If it's not there, create an idea for it to be added to Pro here in ArcGIS Ideas.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

JoshuaSchwartz — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 20:09:08 GMT

Upvoted for the Recycle bin idea.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

AndrewQuee — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 09:02:06 GMT

Also see https://community.esri.com/ideas/1293

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality

HilaryCampbell — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 15:48:50 GMT

Hi, David. At the #esriuc2017‌, attendees were reassured repeatedly that ArcGIS Desktop will be supported for the next few years. And yes, there will be improvements in the 10.6 release. Keep in mind, too, that Pro can't do everything that Desktop can, at least not yet. Esri recognizes that until all the functionality of Desktop is replicated in Pro, they have to keep up with Desktop too. My suggestion would be to submit ideas in both categories - Desktop and Pro. If the issue is something that Esri can address fairly easily in Desktop, and if enough users ask for it, they'll probably end up doing it, despite the marketing emphasis on Pro.

Having said that, at least four of the issues Steve raises in his idea are bugs that need to be fixed. As you said yourself, Esri will continue to fix these things well into the future.

Re: Improve Arc Catalog Functionality - Status changed to: Closed

AletaVienneau — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:02:58 GMT

ArcGIS Desktop retired on March 1, 2026 so we won’t be considering this idea. We recommend that you migrate to ArcGIS Pro, our fully supported desktop GIS application.

Most of the improvements that were suggested for ArcCatalog are already addressed in ArcGIS Pro, and most of the outstanding suggestions are captured in other existing ideas submitted for ArcGIS Pro, particularly:

Auto-refresh of a folder’s contents: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/auto-refresh-folders-db-connections-in-pro/idi-p/934199
Send deleted files to the Windows recycle bin: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/recover-deleted-files/idi-p/959200

Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas. We truly appreciate your contributions to continuously improving the software to help you do your work and look forward to what ideas you have for ArcGIS Pro.

Aleta