An INSPIRE spatial object is typically represented as a feature class in the geodatabase. In cases where a spatial object does not have a geometry property, an object class is used instead.

The INSPIRE spatial object type AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is stored in the geodatabase in the feature class auAdmUnitS.

The INSPIRE spatial object type Addresses::Address is stored in the geodatabase in the object class adAddress.

Names of feature classes, object classes, and fields are limited to 30 characters in the geodatabase. This is not a limitation in the INSPIRE application schemas. The names from the application schemas are therefore typically shortened in the geodatabase. To simplify the mapping between the names and to guarantee uniqueness, all names in the geodatabase start with the short code of the application schema that contains the type.

The INSPIRE spatial object type AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is stored in the geodatabase in the feature class auAdmUnitS. The short code for the application schema AdministrativeUnits is au.

Each feature or object class has two fields with identifiers. Both are integers. The field OBJECTID is an internal identifier, used only for the management within the geodatabase. It is automatically set by the database upon insert. The field IFCID is the identifier used in foreign key relationships. It must be set upon insert into the database by the transformation process adding data to the geodatabase. It must be unique for the feature and object class within the geodatabase and for the INSPIRE spatial object type.

N/A

Attributes of an INSPIRE spatial object type with a maximum multiplicity greater than one are converted into their own object class. The attribute values are associated with the spatial object through foreign key references (field RID) to the associated feature or object class (field IFCID). Only by using this mechanism is it possible to have a general representation of multiple attribute values in a geodatabase.

The Attribute "name of the INSPIRE spatial object type AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is converted to the object class auAdmUnitS_name. The object class contains all information from the value data type of the attribute. In addition, it contains the field RID that references the entry in the feature class auAdmUnitS to which the name belongs.

INSPIRE distinguishes between properties where the value is unknown to a data owner (value type void) and where the data owner knows that the property is not applicable for the particular spatial object (for example, a road without a road name). These cases have to be distinguished also in the geodatabase. In the INSPIRE application schemas these properties are marked with the stereotype <<voidable>>. An additional field with the suffix _void is added to the geodatabase in these cases.

• If the value is NULL, the property value is not of the void type and the value is known to the data owner.
• If the value is 0, the property value is of the void type and the data owner has no further information about the missing information.
• If the value is 1, the property value is of the void type, but the value is provided for other features in the dataset (unknown).
• If the value is 2, the property value is of the void type, also for all other features in the dataset (unpopulated).

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Attributes with a data type that is marked with the stereotype <<codeList>> in the INSPIRE application schema is converted into two fields.

• The first field contains the value from the code list, which is represented in the geodatabase in a domain.
• The second field, with a suffix _cl, must contain a resolvable URL that contains a representation of the code list. In the future, it is recommended to reference the relevant entry in the INSPIRE code list registry.

The attribute nationalLevel of the INSPIRE spatial object type AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is converted to the fields nationalLevel and nationalLevel_cl. The field nationalLevel contains a value from the code list AdministrativeHierarchyLevel, for example, 1stOrder. The field nationalLevel_cl contains, for example, the URL http://services.interactive-instruments.de/download/cl/AdministrativeHierarchyLevel.xml.

Attributes with a data type that is marked with the stereotype <<enumeration>> in the INSPIRE application schema is converted into a single field. The field contains the value from the enumeration, which is represented in the geodatabase in a domain.

The attribute legalStatus of the INSPIRE spatial object type AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeBoundary is converted to the field legalStatus. It contains a value from the enumeration, for example, agreed.

For attributes with a value that is a structure data type, (it is marked with the stereotype <<dataType>> or <<union>> in the INSPIRE application schema), all attributes of the data type are converted separately. Be sure that all names are unique.

The attribute inspireId of the INSPIRE spatial object type AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is converted to the fields id_localId, id_namespace, id_versionId, and id_versionId_void.

Some INSPIRE spatial object types allow instances to carry a range of different geometry types (for example, either a point, a line string, or a polygon). In the geodatabase this requires using separate feature classes depending on the geometry type. As a result, these INSPIRE spatial object types are converted into multiple feature classes with different geometry types. To maintain uniqueness of the feature class names and indicate the geometry type, a short code is added to the end of the feature class name: P for points, MP for multi points, L for line strings or multiline strings, and S for polygons or multi polygons.

The property geometry of the INSPIRE spatial object type GeographicalNames::NamedPlace is of the data type GM_Object (an arbitrary geometry). As a result, the spatial object type is converted in the geodatabase into the feature classes gnNamedPlaceP, gnNamedPlaceMP, gnNamedPlaceL, and gnNamedPlaceS.

There are spatial object types in the INSPIRE application schemas that have multiple geometry properties. In the geodatabase, however, every feature class may have only one geometry property. In these cases, an additional feature class is added that references the main feature class using a foreign key reference (field RID).

The INSPIRE spatial object type CadastralParcels::CadastralParcel has two geometry properties, geometry and referencePoint. The attribute geometry is converted to the field SHAPE in the feature class cpParcelS, the attribute referencePoint in the field SHAPE in the feature class cpParcelS_refPoint.

Data types with geometry properties are converted to feature classes not object classes.

The data type AdministrativeUnits::ResidenceOfAuthority is converted to a feature class in the geodatabase, even if instances of the data type conceptually do not have an identity and are just values owned by the parent spatial object type.

Most INSPIRE application schemas use generalization relationships between spatial object types. Geodatabases do not support generalization as used in UML models. However, they support the subtype concept that has some similarities and is used for converting generalizations to the INSPIRE geodatabase. The root class of an inheritance tree is converted to feature and/or object classes and all properties of their subtypes are converted to fields of them. An additional field STYPE distinguishes about the type of each instance. The STYPE field must be set for all such instances. Depending on the instance, only the applicable fields are relevant.

The INSPIRE spatial object type Hydro - Physical Waters"::DrainageBasin and the subtype Hydro - Physical Waters::RiverBasin are both converted to the feature class hypBasinS.

In some cases, the INSPIRE application schemas use multiple inheritance. In these cases, the properties from the abstract supertypes are propagated to all subtypes.

The properties hydroId, geographicalName, and relatedHydroObject from HydroObject are represented in the feature classes of all subtypes, for example, DrainageBasin (hypBasinS).

The conversion of associations between INSPIRE spatial object types depends on the multiplicity of the relationship. For 1:n relationships a field with a foreign key reference is added directly in the feature or object class. An intermediate table (object class) is created for n:m relationships. The relationship class capability of geodatabases is not used to improve performance, in particular during data loading. In addition, geodatabases do not support relationship classes for reflexive associations. The relationship is accessible in ArcMap via other mechanisms.

The 1:n relationship upperLevelUnit / lowerLevelUnit between instances of AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is converted to the field upperLevelUnit.

The n:m relationship coAdminister / administeredBy between instances of AdministrativeUnits::AdministrativeUnit is converted to the intermediate table auAdmUnit_admBySS.