ArcGIS Pro: If Start without a Template, save .gdb & .tbx with Project name (instead of default.gdb & default.tbx)

LuciaBarbato1

Note: Original title & idea has been edited. Thanks to Kory Kramer for previous clarifications.

Whenever I save a project from one of the blank templates (Map, Catalog, Global or Local Scene), the .gdb and .tbx are saved with the same name as the .aprx and project folder. However, when starting without a template, the project folder and .aprx reflect the desired project name, but the default.gdb and default.tbx names remain as 'default' since they originate from the temp default space in the user profile.

If someone wants to save a blank template as a project, it would be nice if the system could check for content in the .gdb or .tbx, and if they are empty, then automatically name the .gdb & .tbx the same as the project name to be consistent with other project naming conventions. If no content is present in the .gdb & .tbx, then it is safe to assume that no other projects or map documents are pointing to it. This might be the case more often than not, and avoid confusion (at least for some), and eliminate the need to rename them.

Otherwise, if content is present, then a warning message can display explaining “The default.gdb & default.tbx have content. If other projects point to these files, they will lose access. Do you want to rename them to the project name? You may manually rename these files if desired”. This warning message can have a checkbox to ‘Do Not Display this message in the future’ for people who know what they are doing.

I believe providing this type of functionality/option might add some flexibility to Pro’s strict project structuring & naming, and potentially minimize confusion.

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Text of original idea:

The AGP documentation on page: Projects in ArcGIS Pro—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation > in the Default geodatabase section states:

"When a project is created, a default geodatabase is also created in the project's home folder. The default geodatabase has the same name as the project (for example, MyProject.aprx is associated with MyProject.gdb)."

Every time I save a project when starting without a template, the project folder and project file (.aprx) reflect the same name, but the Default.gdb and Default.tbx names remain as 'Default'. The only time the default gdb and toolbox have the same name as the project is when a project is saved from one of the blank templates.

Some clarification would be helpful such as .. when starting without a template, the project folder and project file (.aprx) reflect the same name. The default.gdb and default.tbx can be renamed to match the project.

Actually, this seems more like a bug to me. Why not have the gdb and tbx assigned the same output name as the project when staring without a template? That would more clearly associate these objects with the current project.

KoryKramer · ‎09-28-2020

Thank you for submitting this idea Lucia Barbato‌.

The help topic that is probably closer to the situation you're describing is Save a project—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

If you started working without a template, the Save Project As dialog box appears when you try to save your changes. Instead of browsing to a location where you will store a new project file, you will browse to a location in which a folder will be created. A folder is always created for projects created without a template, even if your settings specify not to create a folder for projects created with a template. The saved project's folder will contain the new project file (.aprx), the default geodatabase and default toolbox if they were created for the unsaved project, and any additional items created in or saved to the unsaved project's home folder. Any edits to data stored in the project's home folder will be saved. The new project file will have the same name as the new folder.

I just wanted to make sure that you're aware if you have feedback that is specific to a help topic, you can provide that through the 'Feedback on this topic?' link at the bottom of the help page:

That would probably be the best avenue to provide your suggestion about the help documentation.

If the idea then is less about the documentation and more about the actual functionality to rename Default.gdb and Default.tbx to match the project name when saving an untitled project, that would be important to clarify in the title and description. If we pursue this line of thinking, I'm assuming that you have left the Geodatabase and Toolbox options set to 'New default geodatabase for each project' and 'New default toolbox for each project', respectively, correct?

So the idea to update the Default.gdb and Default.tbx when saving an Untitled project would only apply when the settings are left at those defaults, correct? Otherwise, your Untitled project is pointing to another existing database or toolbox, which may in fact be named Default.gdb or Default.tbx, but I wouldn't think you would want those renamed because other projects will be pointing to those same resources.

If you ever feel that you are experiencing a bug in the software, please do not submit an idea as the ArcGIS Ideas site is not designed to handle bugs. Rather, please contact technical support to look at the issue you feel may be a bug and they can help.

Thanks!

LuciaBarbato1 · ‎09-29-2020

Greetings Kory,

Thank you for the thoughtful reply. My apologies for the confusion and for using the term ‘bug’ in my post. I’ve been really confused! I started my post referencing the documentation, and midway switched to inquiring about the software functionality. If I have questions about documentation, I will use ‘Feedback on this Topic’ next time (thanks for that).

To answer your question:

“I'm assuming that you have left the Geodatabase and Toolbox options set to 'New default geodatabase for each project' and 'New default toolbox for each project', respectively, correct? “

Yes, I left those defaults.

I’m confused as to when I start a project without a template, and later decide to save it (using either Save or Save As), I get the expected Project Folder name, and the .aprx file with the prefix as the project folder, but the .gdb and .tbx don’t also get the same prefix?

But, if I start a project with a Map template and then save the project (with or without a folder), the .gdb and .tbx get the same prefix as the project (not named ‘default’.

I don’t understand why saving a project that originally started without a template is treated differently.

My students and I have been befuddled. We always expect the .gdb and .tbx in a project to have the same name as the project – unless we specify otherwise. That’s why I thought it was a ‘bug’.

I understand what the documentation is explaining, but I thought it was explaining functionality that itinitally didn’t make sense to me.

I’d appreciate any clarification! Thanks so much,

Lucia Barbato, GISP

Instructor, Dept. of Geosciences

Sr. Research Associate, Ctr. For Geospatial Technology

Texas Tech University

806.834-8999

KoryKramer · ‎10-01-2020

Hi Lucia,

Let's not focus so much on what happens when saving the project. If we look at what is happening when the project is created, hopefully it will make more sense.

When you create a project from a template, say the Map template, and you have your general options Create projects settings to create a new default .gdb and new default .tbx, there is no risk in naming those with the same name as the project. The application knows the project name and because the .gdb and .tbx are new, they can be created with the same name.

When you start working in an Untitled project, the project's infrastructure is created in a temp folder. There is no project name so the .gdb and .tbx are just called Default. As you work, data may be created in these, and while it may not be likely, it is possible for other things to reference that data. To change the names of these when the Untitled project is saved is a bit riskier if anything else is pointing to those. Again, maybe not likely, but possible. So while the project could handle the name change (swizzling as its called) there is the potential to break data references.

Anyway, I'm not on the development team, so can't directly speak to the design, but it seems to me that looking at this from the create project side vs. the save project side will hopefully help in understanding why it works this way.

The idea of having the application automatically rename an Untitled project's .gdb and .tbx to match the saved project's name is valid. I just wanted to walk through the difference between create and save since you were comparing this to creating a project. Ultimately you might be interested in https://community.esri.com/ideas/13362

Hope this helps!

LuciaBarbato1 · ‎10-01-2020

Hi Kory,

Thanks for the reply. Thinking about creating vs saving the project does help me understand the Esri logic of why the temp .gdb & .tbx are not also renamed with the .aprx. So thanks for that.

As you say, there is initially no .aprx and the .gdb & .tbx are in the user profile temp space. And you mentioned (twice) that it isn’t likely for other things to reference or point to the data. That’s exactly what I was thinking.

If after someone works in a blank template, then they want to save it as a project, it would be nice if the system could check for any content in the .gdb or .tbx, and if they are empty, then automatically name the .gdb & .tbx the same as the project name. If there is no content, then it is safe to assume that no other projects or map documents are pointing to it. This might be the case more often than not, and avoid confusion (at least for some).

Otherwise, if is content present, then a warning message can display explaining “The default.gdb & default.tbx have content. If other projects point to the data, they might no longer have access. Do you want to rename them to the project name? You may manually rename these files if desired”. This warning message can have a checkbox to ‘Do Not display this message in the future’ for people who know what they are doing.

I believe providing this type of functionality/option will add some flexibility to Pro’s strict project structuring & naming, and minimize confusion. If my thought is seriously flawed, I can accept that; but if it has any merit, I’d be glad to re-submit to Ideas.

Thanks for all that you do with your communication with the user community. I’m grateful for your thoughts.

Lucia