ArcInfo

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ESRI launched the first version of ARC/INFO - which it claims as "the very first modern GIS"{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} - in 1982 on minicomputers. The name refers to its architecture as a geographic information system composed of:

1. geographic input, processing, and output tools ("ARC"){{citation needed|date=July 2016}} with
2. a complementary, but separate database ("INFO")INFO, a single-user, relational database product developed by Henco, Inc., now supported by Doric. Inc. Retrieved from [http://doric.co.uk/html/products/info/features.htm doric.co.uk]

The early releases of ARC/INFO comprised a set of FORTRAN programs linked together and accessed through a command-line interface built with the scripting language of the minicomputer (CPL on PRIMOS, DCL on VMS, etc.). The software was built under a paradigm of tools that could be used together within a command-line interface to perform GIS database development, geoprocessing, and output functions.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

ESRI added subsystems for surface processing ("TIN") network analysis ("Network"), and survey data processing ("Cogo").{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

The release of ARC/INFO 4.0 included the advent of an "Arc executive" which processed commands with a new command-interpreter developed in FORTRAN and compiled for each platform, for performance and stability. The Arc Executive allowed the support of a command language specific to ARC/INFO: the ARC Macro Language (AML). This allows users automate input to the command line, and supports simple graphical user interfaces (menus and forms) for application-specific tools and applications. AML was largely based on CPL, the system scripting language of the original ARC/INFO development platform, PRIMOS. AML applications could be written to execute unmodified on all platforms supported by ARC/INFO.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

As computing shifted towards Unix and Windows, ESRI followed by launching ARC/INFO on both platforms. The development platform for ARC/INFO moved to Sun Solaris at version 5.0, and to Windows at version 7.1.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

ESRI released a subset of ARC/INFO functionality as PC ARC/INFO for MS-DOS in 1987See ad in American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing's PE&RS April 1988, p. 455 and later a version for Windows using a dBase tables (instead of INFO) for tabular data and a 'Simple Macro Language' (SML).{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

{{Main|Esri grid}}

ARC/INFO 6.0 added a major subsystem (GRID) for raster processing. The underlying raster processing software framework (and "ESRI GRID" raster data format) later provided the code base for ArcView 3.x Spatial Analyst and ArcGIS Spatial Analyst.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

ESRI underwent a major change in its GIS product family when it released ArcGIS 8.0 late in 1999. With this release, ARC/INFO was discontinued and its code base largely frozen. ArcGIS was a multi-scale architecture, with the Desktop product released at three licensing levels: ArcView; ArcEditor; and ArcInfo.{{cite web |last1=Elkins |first1=Rob |title=ArcView, ArcEditor or ArcInfo |url=https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-desktop/administration/arcview-arceditor-or-arcinfo/ |website=ArcGIS Blog |date=25 June 2010}}

The ArcInfo license is billed by ESRI as "Professional GIS", allowing users the most flexibility and control in "all aspects of data building, modeling, analysis, and map display".[http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcinfo/index.html ESRI] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628185428/http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcinfo/index.html |date=2012-06-28 }} - Product Page

ArcInfo Desktop continued to be shipped with the older command-line software, now named "ArcInfo Workstation"—with access to coverage processing tools provided through the ArcGIS Coverage toolbox.{{cite web|last=Esri|title=An Overview of the Coverage Toolbox|url=http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//001300000001000000.htm|work=ArcGIS online help|accessdate=2012-03-19}} Most ArcInfo Workstation functionality missing from ArcInfo Desktop at the 8.0 release was gradually implemented within the ArcGIS geoprocessing framework, and was finally completed with the release of ArcGIS 10.0 in 2011.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

ESRI released ArcInfo Workstation 10.0 (along with ArcGIS 10.0) in late 2010. This final release supported Windows (XP, Vista, Win 7, Server 2003 and 2008) and Solaris 10 (SPARC).FAQ: What are the deprecation plans for ArcGIS 10 and the upcoming release of ArcGIS 10.1? Retrieved from [http://resources.arcgis.com/content/kbase?fa=articleShow&d=38202 resources.arcgis.com]. {{dead link|date=February 2025}}

In 2012, Esri deprecated the use of the term ArcInfo as a licensing option for ArcGIS. The most advanced license for ArcGIS Desktop is now known as "ArcGIS Advanced".Which ArcGIS for Desktop Software Is Right for You? Retrieved from [http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/about/gis-for-me.html esri.com]. {{dead link|date=February 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis-for-desktop/index.html ArcGIS for Desktop (Esri website)]
• [http://wiki.gis.com/wiki/index.php/ArcInfo ArcInfo (wiki.gis.com)]

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