What maps are associated with this shapefile/geodatabase?

[JeremySoules1]

My group has lots of data, and we are reluctant to delete anything for fear that that old shapefile might be attached to someone else's mxd.  Why not add a feature in ArcCatalog that would track what maps have been saved that are using a particular file? 

Right click>"Associated MXDs"

[SueCarroll]

We had this discussion just the other day in our office.  It would be a tremendous help to know which map documents still use a data set before deleting it and causing all kinds of trouble!

[DavidWheelock]

I have the same moral quandary quite often.

It could be a kind of a crawler, or restricted to a certain folder/directory tree.  Perhaps it could be added to the ArcCatalog Search function.

It could be used to create a punch-list of maps that need to be fixed if we want to migrate/rename/delete data sources.

[mattwilkie]

...and for bonus points, what maps use data within this area  [draw a box, select a polygon, etc.]

[JeffMoulds]

You can do this at ArcGIS DT 10 with Python using the new arcpy.mapping module. The following overview help topic states that one of the scenarios that arcpy.mapping was implemented was to create a list of maps that have layers referencing a certain data source:

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/Geoprocessing_scripts_for_map_document...

There is a lot info in the help on how to do this. Also, the resource center has a sample toolbox that demo's many arcpy.mapping workflows, one of which is finding a specific data source in a folder of MXDs.

http://resources.arcgis.com/gallery/file/geoprocessing/details?entryID=A910AB18-1422-2418-3418-3885D...

[MeghanMcGaffin3]

I think the OP solution would be a much more elegant answer to this problem with a Right click>Associated MXD's.  I can't get the script to give me any results, every time it says no results found and now it's simply crashing ArcCatalog over and over again.  I'd like to promote the idea but demote the implementation because it doesn't work.

[JHayes]

Please do it!  This would be awesome x 10.

[JurajKrumpolec]

...and vice-versa: What data are associated with this mxd? Display summary of all data sources and other externally linked map and layout elements with management possibility e.g. Display and manage Map Document contents in ArcCatalog.

[AlexBlenkush]

While in ArcCatalog, the user would click on a data file, let's say Rivers.shp. The user could then see the .mxd(s) where Rivers.shp is used. This is basically a backwards functionality of the "set data sources" window for an .mxd. 

This would be useful for data cleanup, especially when there are many data files and .mxds spread throughout a network.

[MarkVolz]

This would be useful, but I think it might be very hard to impliment.  MXD files point to data so it is easy to find what shape files / data sources a single mxd is consuming, but it would be hard to go the other way.  For example:

• ArcMap could maintain a database to maintain this backward compatibility, but that does not work in a multi-user environment.  What would happen if user A saves an mxd on their desktop that points to data on the server.  User B would be unaware of it.
• ArcMap could maintain a separte file of mxds that link to A shapefile.  However how would ArcMap know if the list was deleted.

These ideas are not a perfect solution but might be quite useful:

• In ArcCatalog have a tool that lists all the used datasets by searching through a directory and it's subdirectories for any mxds.  This tool then could create a report that states data layers are used.  Unfortunatly, I dont think it would be easy to inspect mxds on other users personal computers, but it is a step in the right direction.  I know I would be intrested in this tool.
• Have ArcCatalog keep a log of moved and renamed files.  If a user opens up an mxd with a broken layer then the repair datasource tool could prompt a user with: "The layer 'my rivers' has been moved from H:\Data\rivers.shp to H:\Data\Hydrology\rivers.shp.  Would you like to use this new location as the data source?" 

[AlexBlenkush]

@lygismav: The concerns you brought up are valid, it would be a tough tool to implement, especially across networks. I like the solutions you mentioned, though not exactly what I had in mind, they seem to be more feasible.