ArcObjects Library Reference (GeoDatabase)

FeatureDataset Class

Esri Feature Dataset object.

FeatureDataset is a non-creatable object. References to non-creatable objects must be obtained through other objects.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Interfaces

Interfaces	Description
IDataset	Provides access to members that supply dataset information.
IDatasetAnalyze	Provides access to members that analyze a dataset.
IDatasetContainer	Provides access to adding datasets to the dataset container.
IDatasetEdit	Provides access to information about the status of datasets being edited.
IDatasetEditInfo	Provides access to members that maintain dataset editing information.
IFeatureClassContainer	Provides access to members that return feature classes by name, ID and index.
IFeatureDataset	Provides access to create a new feature class in a feature dataset.
IFeatureDatasetExtensionContainer	Provides access to the collection of feature dataset extensions.
IGeoDataset	Provides access to members that provide information about a Geographic Dataset.
IGeoDatasetSchemaEdit	Provides access to members that change the schema of a GeoDataset.
INetworkCollection	Provides access to members that create and maintain information about geometric networks.
INetworkCollection2	Provides access to members that create and maintain information about geometric networks.
IRelationshipClassContainer	Provides access to members that create, add and hand out relationship classes.
ISchemaLock	Provides access to members for accessing schema locking functionality.
ITopologyContainer2	Provides access to members that create, add, and hand out topologies.

Remarks

Feature classes that store simple features can be organized either inside or outside a feature dataset. Those outside a feature dataset are called standalone feature classes. Feature classes which store topological features, for example those participating in geometric networks, must be contained within a feature dataset to ensure a common spatial reference.

A FeatureDataset is a dataset that exists only in a geodatabase workspace and all the datasets contained in the FeatureDataset are also part of the same geodatabase. When programming with feature classes, you need to remember that the feature class may or may not belong to a feature dataset.

Each dataset in a geodatabase must have a unique name. In particular, each feature class in a geodatabase must have a unique name, independent of its containing feature dataset. Note that this is different from a file system model where two folders may contain files with the same local name within the folder.