ArcGIS Pro Associate cheat sheet

A geodatabase stores feature classes, tables, rasters, and relationship classes in a single container; a shapefile is a folder of files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj) and cannot store domains or relationship classes.

Field types: short integer (16-bit), long integer (32-bit), float (32-bit), double (64-bit), text (max length set at creation), date, GUID, BLOB. Text field length is fixed at creation and cannot be edited in place.

A subtype groups features within one feature class by an integer code stored in a subtype field; a domain (coded value or range) constrains values allowed in a field. Domains and subtypes are geodatabase-only.

Projections: define projection when data lacks a coordinate system; project (geoprocessing) to create a new dataset in a different coordinate system. Defining does not move coordinates.

A feature dataset holds feature classes that share a coordinate system and is required for geometric networks, topologies, and network datasets.

Attribute joins are based on a common field and are virtual (stored in the map, not the source); spatial joins transfer attributes by location and write results to a new feature class.

Metadata is edited in the Catalog view's Metadata tab; item descriptions, tags, and credits feed ArcGIS Online/Portal search and item pages.

File geodatabase default feature class storage limit is 1 TB; enterprise geodatabases scale with the underlying DBMS. Shapefile field names are capped at 10 characters.

A project contains maps, scenes, layouts, and stand-alone tables; a map is a container of layers plus a coordinate system; a layout is a separate page for printing/export.

Layer draw order: layers at the top of the Contents pane draw on top; within a single feature layer, symbol level drawing controls which symbol classes overlay others.

Symbology options: single symbol, unique values (categorical field), graduated colors/symbols (numeric field with classification method), unclassed colors, and charts.

Classification methods for graduated symbology: equal interval, quantile, natural breaks (Jenks), standard deviation, and manual. Quantile puts equal counts per class; natural breaks minimizes within-class variance.

Normalization divides a numeric field by another field (or by log/percent of total) to make counts comparable across areas.

Labeling: set label class, expression, and placement; Maplex label engine provides conflict resolution, stacking, and key numbering. Labels are dynamic; annotation is stored geometry.

Definition queries filter features drawn and available for analysis in that layer; they persist in the map, unlike a selection which is temporary.

A map frame in a layout references a map; scale, extent, rotation, and clipping options are set per map frame. Basemaps can be set per map, not per layer.

Geoprocessing tools take inputs, parameters, and outputs; results are written to a new dataset or updated in place. Tools run in the background by default and report in the Geoprocessing History.

Overlay tools: Clip (cuts input to boundary), Intersect (keeps overlapping geometry), Union (combines all areas), Erase (removes overlap), Spatial Join (transfers attributes by spatial relationship).

Proximity tools: Buffer (distance or field-based), Near (adds distance and feature ID to input), Generate Near Table, and Polygon Neighbors.

Selection tools: Select Layer By Attribute (SQL query) and Select Layer By Location (spatial relationship such as intersects, within, contains, crosses). Both respect the current selection method (new, add, subtract).

ModelBuilder chains tools into a model; variables are model inputs/outputs, and model parameters expose them when run as a tool. Models can be exported to Python.

Environments (workspace, output coordinate system, extent, snap raster, cell size, mask) control how tools behave; they can be set at project, map, or tool level.

Raster analysis: Cell Size and Snap Raster environments determine output alignment; Mask limits analysis extent; reclassification and raster calculator operate per-cell.

Zonal Statistics summarizes raster values within zones (polygons); Zonal Statistics as Table outputs a table. Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions are required for many raster tools.

Sharing requires signing in to an ArcGIS Online or Portal organization; items can be shared with the organization, groups, or everyone (public).

A web map is a JSON document referencing layers hosted in ArcGIS Online/Portal; web layers (feature, tile, map image) are the hosted data behind them.

Publishing a feature layer from a map uploads the data to the portal; publishing a tile layer pre-renders tiles for fast display but does not support editing.

Sharing settings include item properties (title, tags, summary, description, thumbnail) that drive search and discovery; missing tags reduce findability.

Groups control access to shared items; group members can view, and with the right privileges edit, shared content.

Project packages (.ppkx) and map packages bundle data with the map for offline or cross-organization sharing; layer packages share a single layer.

Collaboration: shared updates and distributed collaboration let organizations synchronize content; offline maps are enabled per map for field use.

Credits and privileges: publishing hosted layers consumes credits; editing, publishing, and sharing privileges are assigned by the administrator role.