Alter configuration keywords

Available with Standard or Advanced license.

Configuration keywords represent a set of configuration parameters and settings that specify how data is stored in your geodatabase. If you want to change how data is stored in your geodatabase, you can alter the parameter settings of existing keywords or create your own keywords.

If you want to create a custom configuration keyword or alter the parameter values of an existing keyword, use the Export Geodatabase Configuration Keywords tool to export your current settings to a text file. Edit and save the text file, and then run the Import Geodatabase Configuration Keywords tool to import your changes. Alternatively, you can use Python to export to a text file, edit and save the file, and use Python to import your changes.

Run geoprocessing tools

If you have access to ArcGIS Desktop (Standard or Advanced), connect to the geodatabase from the Catalog tree, run the Export Geodatabase Configuration Keywords tool to create a text file containing the geodatabase's current configuration settings, edit and save the text file, and import changes using the Import Geodatabase Configuration Keywords tool.

1. Connect to the geodatabase as the geodatabase administrator.
2. Export the current configuration keyword settings to a text file using the Export Geodatabase Configuration Keywords tool. Specify the connection you created in the previous step for the Input Database Connection, provide an output file name and location, and click OK to run the tool.

   A file containing the current geodatabase configuration settings is created in the location you specified.

3. Open the exported file in a text editor and make the changes you want.

   You can alter the values for parameters of existing keywords or create your own custom keywords.

4. Save and close the text file.
5. Import the edited file using the Import Geodatabase Configuration Keywords tool. Use the same geodatabase connection you specified when you exported the configuration keywords.

   Your new configuration settings are now available for use when data is created.

Use Python

You can script the creation of a database connection file, provide it as input to the ExportGeodatabaseConfigurationKeywords_management function, edit the resultant text file, save and close the file, and then use the connection file and the ImportGeodatabaseConfigurationKeywords_management function to import your changes.

The Python scripts must be run from a machine where ArcGIS Server or ArcGIS Desktop (Standard or Advanced) are installed.

1. Open a command window, import the ArcPy module, and create a database connection (.sde) file using the CreateDatabaseConnection_management function. Connect as the geodatabase administrator. Be sure to save the user name and password with the file.

   In this example, a connection file named admin.sde is created in the connections folder. The connection is made to the projects geodatabase on the teamdata SQL Server instance as the sde user.

   import arcpy
   arcpy.CreateDatabaseConnection_management (r'c:/connections',"admin.sde", "SQL_SERVER", "teamdata", "DATABASE_AUTH", "sde", "Cky00r", "SAVE_USERNAME", "projects")
   

2. Export the current geodatabase configuration.

   In this example, the config file is exported to the C:\temp folder.

   arcpy.ExportGeodatabaseConfigurationKeywords_management (r'c:/connections/admin.sde', r'c:/temp/config.txt')
   

3. Open the exported file in a text editor and make the changes you want.

   You can alter the values for parameters of existing keywords or create your own custom keywords.

4. Save and close the text file.
5. Import the edited file.

   arcpy.ImportGeodatabaseConfigurationKeywords_management (r'c:/connections/admin.sde', r'c:/temp/config.txt')
   

   Your new configuration settings are now available for use when data is created.