Geoprocessing

Geoprocessing involves deriving information through analysis of existing data and is a critical function in all GIS software. Geoprocessing is used for many GIS functions to generate high-quality data, perform quality control checks on data, and undertake modeling and analysis. It can also be used to automate many batch procedures in a GIS.

ArcGIS Desktop provides a geoprocessing framework of tools that can be run in several different ways such as

• Dialog boxes in ArcToolbox
• Inputs to models in ModelBuilder
• Commands in a command line prompt or input
• Functions in scripts

The two main parts of the geoprocessing framework include ArcToolbox, an organized collection of geoprocessing tools, and ModelBuilder, a visual modeling language for building geoprocessing workflows and scripts.