Key Features

ArcView is a desktop GIS that allows you to perform basic visualization, query, editing, and analysis of your data.

Depending on what features you need, you can choose from three license levels of ArcGIS Desktop (ArcInfo, ArcEditor, and ArcView). The ArcGIS Desktop products share the same applications (ArcMap and ArcCatalog), user interface, and development environment. Additional functionality is unlocked as users move from ArcView to ArcEditor to ArcInfo.

The key features of ArcView are

• Map authoring—Use predefined map templates to save time and make it easy to create a consistent style in your maps. Learn more about map display shortcuts.
• Spatial query—Ask questions of your data and solve complex problems by using a variety of query-building tools: interactively measure distances and areas, find features in the map, select data by location or attribute, unselect all, switch the selection, access layer properties from the Identify dialog box, and much more. Learn more about integrating and navigating your data.
• Basic modeling and analysis—Model spatial relationships and measure how features in a dataset relate to each other in space, and generate reports and charts of your findings.
• Simple feature editing and data integration—Create and edit point, line, and polygon features and attributes within your data.
  
  
  Quickly make changes to several features (records) at once.
  
  Use a wide variety of data types including demographics, facilities, CAD drawings, imagery, Web services, and multimedia. Learn more about integrating a variety of data sources and formats to do your job.
• Ready-to-use datasets—Begin your visualization and analysis right away with the included ESRI Data & Maps Media Kit, which is updated annually and preconfigured to work specifically with ESRI software.
• Enabled for extensions—Add even more capabilities and extend the power of ArcView by using one or more of the many optional ArcGIS Desktop extensions. Analysis, productivity, and solution-based extensions allow you to perform extended tasks such as raster geoprocessing and three-dimensional analysis.

Download a more detailed comparison [PDF] of the ArcGIS Desktop product key features.