One of the primary mechanisms that users employ to share their geodatabase schemas is to export them to a geodatabase XML workspace document. The XML workspace document is an XML specification for the geodatabase that can be used to hold all geodatabase contents. One type of geodatabase XML document is a schema-only representation of the geodatabase.
Refer to this link for a white paper on geodatabase XML.
- In the Catalog tree, right-click the geodatabase, feature dataset, feature class, or table you want to export; point to Export; then click XML Workspace Document.
- To export the schema without any records from the feature classes and tables, click Schema Only. Specify the path and name of the new XML file you will create.
- You can save the document as an XML file or as a compressed ZIP file. To specify the file type, give the file an .xml, .zip, or .z extension when you type the path and name into the text box.
- If you specify the path and name by browsing to a folder from the Save As dialog box, specify the file type in the Save As dialog box.
- Click Next to preview the contents of the schema information to be copied.
- Click Summary to review a summary of the extraction contents and other optional settings. When you are ready, click Finish to export the schema.
The steps to copy a geodatabase schema using an XML workspace document are as follows:
If the data you're exporting has metadata and you want to export it, check the Export Metadata check box.
This panel lists all the data items for which schema information will be copied.
Uncheck the Include check boxes for the feature classes, tables, or relationship classes whose schemas you don't want to export.
If you leave a box checked for a feature class in a network, topology, or terrain, the schemas for all the feature classes participating in the network, topology, or terrain will be copied.