Deleting Geoprocessing History in Description Tab (Arc Catalog)

5397
4
Jump to solution
05-07-2015 12:15 AM
NaimeCelik
Occasional Contributor

I would like to not include some of geoprocessing history info into metadata since it reveals my computer path ext...   It seems like geoprocessing history part is not editable. Does anyone have any suggestion?

I found this link Metadata Geoprocessing History  which is a similar question but I do not think that solution was given.

Tags (1)
0 Kudos
1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
curtvprice
MVP Esteemed Contributor

The XSLT Transformation tool can be used with the transformation file "Delete metadata geoprocessing history" to zap the GP history from the metadata record.

XSLT Transformation—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

View solution in original post

4 Replies
curtvprice
MVP Esteemed Contributor

The XSLT Transformation tool can be used with the transformation file "Delete metadata geoprocessing history" to zap the GP history from the metadata record.

XSLT Transformation—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

curtvprice
MVP Esteemed Contributor

By the way, I recommend avoiding ArcCatalog if you can -- almost all the functionality is now available in ArcMap's Catalog window, and with only one application open you are much less likely to run into file locking problems.

0 Kudos
PaulLohr
Occasional Contributor III

I've tried what Curtis suggested with version 10.2.2. First of all your metadata has to be in the ArcGIS format (before running the XSLT Transformation tool). After running the XSLT Transformation tool, you'll need to use the Metadata Importer tool (Import Metadata did nothing). Then the geoprocessing history has been removed.

DuncanHornby
MVP Notable Contributor

A someone who deals with data often from big named organisations who provide little or no metadata I have found the geoprocessing history log valuable for working out how the data was constructed. I'm constantly amazed by people giving out data with no explanation about how it was built and what those fields actually represent. In these cases I often have nothing more than the geoprocessing history to go by because the originator of the dataset does not actually work at the organisation anymore.

I urge you not to delete such vital information! Who cares what your data path is, it's not as if people can get access to it. In fact it's very useful, you may get run over by a bus and someone who is trying to understand your data can go back to your organization and say "..well actually the intermediate step was created and stored here, it says that in your data!"