Creating a Data Dictionary
for Your Local Data
USACE SDSFIE Training
Prerequisites:
Preparing Your Local Data
US Army Corps of Engineers
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Video sequence
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Important Note
 Video demonstrates one method of
creating a template for a data dictionary
 Organizations that already have a data
dictionary can skip to slide 35 to see the
suggested format, designed to facilitate
adaptation development
 Other formats are acceptable
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Objectives
 Understanding how to export and zip up an XML
schema from a geodatabase
 Understanding how to use the SDSFIE Website
to create a Validation Report
 Understanding how to download and extract the
compressed report
 Understanding the content of the Validation
Report and how to reformat it to create a Source
Data Dictionary
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THE DATA DICTIONARY
CREATION PROCESS
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Creating a Data Dictionary
Clean up
database
Export
data into
XML
Workspace
Document
Zip up XML
Workspace
Document
Submit .zip file
for validation on
sdsfieonline.org
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Download,
and open
validation
output in
Excel
Reformat
sheets to
create Data
Dictionary
Template
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EXPORT DATA INTO XML
WORKSPACE DOCUMENT
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Export Steps




Right click on geodatabase
Select Export
Select XML Workspace
Document
In options GUI that appears:
►
►
►
►
specify Schema Only
uncheck Export Metadata box
Click the folder icon to
“Specify output XML file”
location
In the “Save As” window:
• Navigate to the file location
and type in the file name
• Click the Save button
Press the Next button
Press the Finish button
Refresh the specified folder
location to see the XML file
►


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Export Steps

Right click on geodatabase
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Export Steps

Select Export
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Export Steps

Select XML Workspace
Document
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Export Steps

In options GUI that appears:
►
Specify Schema Only
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Export Steps

In options GUI that appears:
►
Uncheck Export Metadata
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Export Steps

In options GUI that appears:
►
Click the folder icon to
“Specify output XML file”
location
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Export Steps
►
In the “Save As” window:
• Navigate to the file location
and type in the file name
• Click the Save button
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Export Steps
►
Press the Next button
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Export Steps

Press the Finish button
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Export Steps

Refresh the specified folder
location to see the XML file
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ZIP UP XML WORKSPACE
DOCUMENT
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Creating a compressed file
 The Validation Service on sdsfieonline.org
requires that an XML file that is in a compressed
format, using WinZip’s de facto standard, the
“.zip” file.
 Note that this task is NOT accomplished in
ArcCatalog.
 This task is accomplished, typically, within a
Windows Explorer interface, aka a file manager
window. (This is NOT the Internet Explorer web
browser.)
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Steps to Create a .zip File
Here are the steps for creating a .zip file:
 Step 1. Open a Windows Explorer interface
 Step 2. Right click on your XML Workspace Document
(e.g., one named “DistrictData.xml”)
 Step 3. From the menu, select “WinZIP”, then “Add to
Archive”
 Step 4. In the interface that appears, navigate to the
desired folder location, provide a file name (e.g.,
DistrictData.zip), and save the .zip file in that location
Alternatively, open the WinZip program to create the .zip
file and save it with the desired name and file location
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SUBMIT .ZIP FILE FOR
VALIDATION ON
SDSFIEONLINE.ORG
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The Validation Serice Workflow
 Step 1: Log in to sdsfieonline.org and navigate
to Validate tab of Models and Workflows page
 Step 2: Select SDSFIE Data Model to validate
against (e.g., USACE HQ 3.1)
 Step 3: Select software Platform used to create
schema format (i.e., ESRI)
 Step 4: Specify zip file “Package” to be uploaded
(e.g., DistrictData.zip)
 Step 5: Execute the Validate process
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Step 1. Log on to sdsfieonline.org, and navigate to
Validate tab of the Models and Workflows page
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Step 2: Select “USACE HQ 3.1” as the
SDSFIE Data Model to validate against
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Step 3: Select software Platform used to create
schema format (i.e., ESRI)
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Step 4: Navigate to and select the the zip file
“Package” to be uploaded (e.g., DistrictData.zip)
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Step 5: Execute the Validate process
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DOWNLOAD, AND OPEN
VALIDATION OUTPUT IN
EXCEL
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Download, Extract, Open in Excel, and
Save as *.XLSX Workbook File
 Step 1: After the sdsfieonline.org validation
service is finished, download the the report file
 Step 2: Extract the report file from its
compressed format, and save it in desired folder
 Step 3: Open the report file in Excel
 Step 4: Save the report file as an Excel
workbook
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Step 1. After the sdsfieonline.org validation service
is finished, download the the report file
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Step 2: Extract the report file from its compressed
format, and save it in desired folder
Step 2a: Click on the words “Extract all files”
Step 2b: Click the “Browse” button
Step 2d: Click “Extract”
Step 2c: Navigate to desired folder
to save the file, and click “OK”
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Step 3: Open the report file in Excel
The validation report, in XML format, is now saved
Step 3a: Start the Excel program, and
select “Open” from the File menu
Step 3b: Navigate to the proper folder,
select the report file, and click “Open”
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Step 4: Save the report file as an Excel workbook
After Step 3, the report is
open in Excel, in XML format
Step 4a: From Excel’s File
menu, select “Save As”
After Step 4, the report is
open in Excel, in .xlsx format
Step 4b:
• In the “Save as type” box,
select the first choice on the
list:“Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)”
• In the “File Name” box,
provide a simpler file name
(e.g., DataDictionary.xlsx)
• Click the “Save” button
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REFORMAT SHEETS TO
CREATE DATA DICTIONARY
TEMPLATE
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Spreadsheets in the
Validation Report Wookbook
Spreadsheets in Validation Report:
• Summary
• Geometry Types
• Attribute Types
• Domains
• Domain Values
• Thematic Packages
• Object Types
• Object Types with Attributes
• Feature Types
• Feature Types with Attributes
• Attribute Relationships
For the Data Dictionary development, we are initially concerned
only with the model elements that require definitions.
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Overview of
Validation Report Wookbook
Report breaks down your model elements into categories, and uses color codes
to highlight each type.
Profiled Elements:
• Present in USACE HQ Adaptation
• Not present in your geodatabase
• Ignore for now
Modified Elements:
• Present in USACE HQ Adaptation
• Present in your geodatabase, altered in
some way from the USACE HQ model
Extended Elements:
• Not present in USACE HQ Adaptation
• Present in your geodatabase
Unchanged Elements:
• Present in your geodatabase, same
exact format as found in the USACE HQ
model
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Steps for Reformatting Validation
Report Wookbook into Data Dictionary
 Step 1: Ascertain the types of model elements
for which you will need to develop definitions
 Step 2: Move, hide, and/or delete extraneous
information
► Delete
unneeded spreadsheets, or move to another
workbook
► Hide unneeded records – those that are “Profiled”
► Hide unneeded columns – USACE HQ 3.1
 Step 3: Identify missing definitions to be
populated to complete Data Dictionary
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Characteristics of a Very Simple, Example
Geodatabase:
 No Feature Datasets (“Thematic Packages”)
 Contains 3 Feature Classes
from SDSFIE 3.0 Gold model – “DredgingEvent”
► One from SDSFIE 2.6 model – “soil_sample_point”
► One custom – “BorrowAreas”
► One
 No Domains, and thus, no Domain Values
 No Object Tables
 No Attribute Rleationships
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Step 1: Ascertain the types of model elements for
which you will need to develop definitions
Only 2 spreadsheets in Validation Report need to be retained in this example:
• Feature Types
• Feature Types with Attributes
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Step 2: Move, hide, and/or delete extraneous
information
Removed from view all extraneous information
• Moved extraneous spreadsheets to separate workbook
• “Hide” columns B–E that contained USACE HQ 3.1 info
• “Hide” rows 6–245 that contained profiled Feature Types
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Step 3: Identify missing definitions to be populated
to complete Data Dictionary
Similarly reformatted
“Feature Types with
Attributes” spreadsheet,
and then:
• Deleted text in
“Description” column
which indicated that no
definition was present
• Highlighted in yellow to
indicated that definitions
need to be provided
• Saved as new workbook
“ DataDictionary2.xlsx
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Review
 Understanding how to export and zip up an XML
schema from a geodatabase
 Understanding how to use the SDSFIE Website
to create a Validation Report
 Understanding how to download and extract the
compressed report
 Understanding the content of the Validation
Report and how to reformat it to create a Source
Data Dictionary
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Next steps
 Videos should be seen next are
► Local
Data Requirements and Definitions
 Contact sdsfie@usace.army.mil with
comments or additional information
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