Validation Toolset

The Validation Toolset is currently comprised of only one tool, Validate Geodatabase.

Important

Several important terms with entries in Validation Terminology are used throughout this section.

Validate Geodatabase

The goal this tool is to determine whether the NG911 geodatabase and its contents conform to the Standard. The tool allows the selection of validation routines, each of which evaluates some aspect of the geodatabase for compliance. In the Geoprocessing pane, the tool groups the validation routines into validation categories.

Usage

The tool’s interface is highly dynamic, responding to the inputs provided. At first, only three parameters are visible: Input Geodatabase, Overwrite Error Tables, and Respect SUBMIT.

Selecting Overwrite Error Tables will delete FieldValuesCheckResults and TemplateCheckResults if present, and each will be recreated with only new validation issues if any are found.

Selecting Respect SUBMIT (which is activated by default) will cause only features marked for submission to be validated. This means that issues with data not marked for submission will not be evaluated for compliance with the Standard.

The tool as it appears when first opened.

Upon providing a geodatabase, the Feature Classes to Check parameter appears and is populated with the NG911 feature classes present in the geodatabase. The Geodatabase Validations parameter also appears. Running geodatabase validation routines does not require selecting any feature classes.

The parameters Feature Classes to Check and Geodatabase Validations are available once a geodatabase is provided.

Selecting feature classes in Feature Classes to Check makes the General Feature Class Validations parameter available. These routines are run on each selected feature class.

Adding feature classes unlocks the General Feature Class Validations parameter.

The feature classes ADDRESS_POINT and ROAD_CENTERLINE each have several routines specific to them. Selecting ADDRESS_POINT will make the Address Point Validations parameter available, and selecting ROAD_CENTERLINE will make the Road Centerline Validations parameter available.

Adding ADDRESS_POINT and ROAD_CENTERLINE unlocks the Address Point Validations and Road Centerline Validations parameters, respectively.

Some routines involve multiple feature classes. To run such a routine, all feature classes it requires must be selected, or an error message will appear stating the other required feature class(es).

Some validation routines require that multiple feature classes be selected.

Example of a message warning that a routine requires that an additional feature class be selected.

The parameter’s error message will be dismissed once all feature classes required by the routine are selected or when that particular routine is unselected.

The error is dismissed when the other required feature class is selected.

The parameter Run All Available Validations is provided for convenience. When selected, all NG911 feature classes present in the geodatabase are selected, and all routines that can be run with those feature classes are selected.

While it is never required, selecting Overwrite Error Tables may be particularly helpful when running all available validations.

Selecting Run All Available Validations will automatically select all available feature classes and routines. When doing so, selecting Overwrite Error Tables is recommended.

Once all options are configured, run the tool.

Viewing and Interpreting the Results

Where Results are Stored

The Validation Tools in the NG9-1-1 GIS Toolkit output their results to two tables:

• FieldValuesCheckResults

• TemplateCheckResults

These tables store validation issues to help:

• Identify anomalies and their severities in GIS data

• Locate where the anomaly occurred

• Determine which validation routine detected the issue

Important

The result tables FieldValuesCheckResults and TemplateCheckResults only get created if the tool identifies validation issues. If there are no feature attribute issues, FieldValuesCheckResults will not be created. If there are no geodatabase issues, TemplateCheckResults will not be created.

Understanding the Results

To view the validation issues:

1. In the Catalog pane, expand the NG911 geodatabase, and add FieldValuesCheckResults and/or TemplateCheckResults to a map.

2. In the Table of Contents pane, right-click the table and click Open.

Every validation issue has an issue code in the Code field. The Message field elaborates on the particular error, and looking up the code in the Validation Issue Glossary may provide additional insight.

Note

All validation issues flagged during a single run of the tool will have the same date and time in the Timestamp field.

Using FieldValuesCheckResults

A row in FieldValuesCheckResults typically indicates an issue with one attribute of one feature. Some routines add rows with Field1 and/or Field2 values that start with $. This indicates a computed value rather than any specific field.

1. Open the FieldValuesCheckResults table to examine any issues flagged by the tool.

2. Join the table to a feature class on either the NGUID1 or NGUID2 field to view features with issues.

Tip

Once you have finished reviewing the results, it may be helpful to delete the table to prevent confusion after later runs. If the table is not deleted, any new issues will we appended to it the next time a Validation tool is run.