Create a file geodatabase

Creating a file geodatabase involves creating a special file folder on disk using ArcGIS. This can be done several ways:

• From a folder connection in ArcGIS for Desktop
• Use the Create File GDB tool
• Run a Python script that calls the CreateFileGDB_management function

From a folder connection

Follow these steps to create a file geodatabase in a folder from ArcGIS for Desktop:

1. Start ArcCatalog or ArcMap and open the Catalog window.
2. Expand the file connections in the Catalog tree.
3. Right-click the folder where you want to create the file geodatabase, point to New, and click File Geodatabase.

   A file geodatabase is created in the location you selected.

4. Rename the file geodatabase by right-clicking it, choosing Rename, then typing a new name.

Run the Create File GDB tool

The Create File GDB geoprocessing tool allows you to create a file geodatabase that corresponds to an older release of ArcGIS. This allows you to share data with people who have older releases of ArcGIS, which may not be able to open newer releases of the geodatabase.

1. Open the Create File GDB in ArcGIS for Desktop.

   You can use the search to find the tool or open it directly from the Workspace toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

2. Specify the folder location where you want the file geodatabase created.
3. Type a name for the geodatabase.
4. Choose which ArcGIS version you want the file geodatabase to be.

   The functionality available in the geodatabase will be limited to the release you choose.

5. Click OK to run the tool.

   A file geodatabase is created in the location you specified.

Run a Python script

If you want to create a file geodatabase from a machine where ArcGIS for Server or ArcGIS Engine with the Geodatabase Update extension is installed, you can run a Python script that calls the CreateFileGDB_management function. You would do this if you are creating a file geodatabase from your ArcGIS client on a Linux machine or if you want to have a reusable, stand-alone script that you can alter slightly and use to create all your file geodatabases from Python.

Because Python scripts are running in Wine on your Linux box, directory paths should use the Windows path separator (\). In the examples provided, Z: is the root directory.

The following steps provide some examples of how you would use Python to create a file geodatabase:

1. Open a Python command prompt.
2. Either run a stand-alone script or type commands directly into the interactive interpreter.

   In the first example, the createfgdb.py script contains the following information:

   # Import system modules
   import os
   import sys
   import arcpy
   
   # Set workspace
   env.workspace = "Z:\home\user\mydata"
   
   # Set local variables
   out_folder_path = "Z:\home\user\mydata"
   out_name = "myfgdb.gdb"
   
   # Execute CreateFileGDB
   arcpy.CreateFileGDB_management(out_folder_path, out_name)
   

   After you alter the script to run at your site, you can call it from a command prompt or Python window.

   In this example, the Python is typed at the command prompt to create a file geodatabase (myfgdb.gdb) in the directory gdbs in the user's home directory on a Linux machine:

   import arcpy
   
   arcpy.CreateFileGDB_management("Z:\home\user\gdbs", "myfgdb.gdb")
   

   This example creates a version 9.3 file geodatabase (myoldfgdb.gdb) in the user's oldgdbs directory:

   import arcpy
   
   arcpy.CreateFileGDB_management("Z:\home\user\oldgdbs", "myoldfgdb.gdb", "9.3")