Metadata on GIS data themes is critical in the application and use of those themes. This paper represents a follow-up to a paper at the 1995 Esri User Conference on the development of metadata for access in ArcView and the Internet viewing tool MOSAIC. Metadata is a component within the ArcInfo data model. Effectively developing and maintaining metadata on GIS data themes require the recognition of the elements of metadata that are automatically stored and maintained by ArcInfo. The focus of this paper is on the information that ArcInfo manages and the associated data elements as described by the F.G.D.S. Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. It describes methods followed by this office for the access and display of this metadata in ArcView and for access across the Internet.
In order to provide a vehicle to search for geospatial data via the World Wide Web (WWW), the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has defined what constitutes a node on the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse. A partial list of these requirements is serving FGDC-compliant metadata via the WWW, providing searchable metadata using Wide Area Search Index (WAIS) in its z39.50 standard, and developing partnerships with other agencies and organizations. Automated Geographic Reference Center received a grant from the FGDC to become a node and develop tools to make the task easier for those to follow. This paper will tell how this was accomplished using DOCUMENT.AML and some programs developed in-house. This is meant to be a general overview of "this is how we did it," an approach I found missing in the sessions I attended at last year's conference that dealt with metadata development.
The King County Government is composed of numerous departments. Many of the departments have independently developed ArcInfo datasets. Often, these datasets are of interest to other departments within the county. As part of a three year project to create a central library of ArcInfo datasets available county-wide, an application has been developed to make dataset documentation also available county-wide. Core datasets and associated documentation will be kept on a central server that is accessible to most county departments via a wide-area network. Documentation includes dataset metadata, data dictionary information, dataset history, and dataset custodial information. Updating and distributing the documentation occurs by utilizing three components: an ArcInfo AML program for creating dataset documentation, PERL scripts for translating the ASCII files generated by the AML program to HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), and NETSCAPE (or other WWW browser) for viewing dataset documentation. Since the documentation is available using a Web browser, any user on the county's network, or eventually the internet, can view the documentation or submit an electronic request for a copy of the data.