Arc8/9: About ArcGIS 8 & 9

Prior to the Arc8/9 environment, the various ESRI GIS applications were not well-integrated with each other. Within REGIS, most users use ArcView 3.3 for data viewing, analysis and map production. Editors of the data, however, use ArcFM to edit the data while ArcInfo 7.x is used by high-end users as well. Three different products with three different sets of tools.

ArcGIS Applications In the Arc8/9 world, the viewing/analysis/printing environment, the editing environment and the ArcInfo environment all built on the same technology and on top of each other. In ArcGIS 8/9, there are three levels: ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcInfo. The tools, interface and application behaviors are the same in all three levels, which makes transitioning between them a breeze. Training is also made much simpler, as one only has to learn a few new buttons or menu items when moving from a lower level to a higher one.

ArcView. From the ESRI website:

ArcView 8.x is the most significant release in the history of ArcView. Using feedback and requests from users, ESRI built ArcView 8.x with a completely new architecture and user environment. ArcView 8.x maintains the base functionality of ArcView 3.x, and adds many new features. These include on-the-fly coordinate and data projection; Windows compatibility including customization with Visual Basic for Applications built in; a catalog for browsing and managing data; better label management including support for annotation; new editing tools; enhanced cartography; and much more. [See ESRI's ArcView 8.x FAQs for more info.]

ArcEditor. Instead of having to switch applications to edit REGIS data, editors will be able to stay within the ArcGIS environment and simply access additional toolbars and menu items which will allow them to perform all edits seamlessly. All tools and functionality available at the ArcView level carries up to the ArcEditor level as well.

ArcInfo. As with the ArcEditor level, all tools from the ArcView and ArcEditor environments are available in ArcInfo 8/9 with the addition of the high-end functionality to which ArcInfo users are accustomed.

Additional Information

ESRI has information on the ArcGIS suite as well as the individual components on their website:

ArcGIS 8: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/
ArcView 8: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcview/
ArcEditor 8: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arceditor/
ArcInfo 8: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcinfo/