Using predefined expressions to validate stand-alone metadata

You can use the Metadata check to validate metadata element values contained in stand-alone documents (stored in .xml format) using a series of predefined expressions. A single Metadata check can be configured to validate multiple file-based metadata resources, and for each resource, multiple metadata element values can be validated to ensure that element values are correct and adhere to your organization's metadata requirements.

Once you have defined the criteria for the check, you can configure the notes and a severity rating. The notes allow you to provide a more specific description for the feature that has been written to the Reviewer table and are copied to the Notes field in the Reviewer table. The severity rating allows you to indicate how important the results from a check are in terms of your quality assurance/quality-control processes. The lower the number, the greater the priority the check's results have.

Caution:

Before running the Metadata check, the metadata on your data must be updated using one of the following to ensure that the check results are complete.

• The Description tab in ArcCatalog
• The Description tab on the Item Description dialog box, which can be opened through the Catalog window in ArcMap
• The Upgrade Metadata geoprocessing tool

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Data Reviewer.
3. Click the Reviewer Batch Job Manager button on the Data Reviewer toolbar.

   The Reviewer Batch Job Manager dialog box appears.

4. Create a batch job.
5. Right-click a group in the batch job, then click Add Check > Advanced Checks > Metadata Check.

   The Metadata Check Properties dialog box appears.
6. If necessary, type a unique name for the check in the Check Title text box.
   Note:

   The check title can be used to describe the type, metadata standard, and conditions you are evaluating with the check. This is useful when you have a combination of mandatory and optional metadata elements and resources to be evaluated.

7. In the Metadata Location Type area, choose the Folder (for standalone XML files) option.
8. Click Browse to choose the folder that contains the stand-alone metadata resources you want to validate.
   Note:

   Only one folder resource (excluding child folders) can be evaluated per check. If you need to evaluate multiple folder workspaces, you need to configure a Metadata check for each folder.

9. In the Metadata Sources tree view, check the check box next to each stand-alone metadata document you want to validate.
   Tip:

   You can click Select All or Clear All to check or uncheck all the workspace items at once.

10. Click the Metadata Standard drop-down arrow and choose the metadata standard you want to use when identifying the metadata element.

    The standard you choose should match the metadata standard on which the stand-alone metadata resources are based.

    Note:

    The standard selected in this step determines the element identifier results that are captured in the Reviewer table's IDENTIFIER field during execution of the check.

    Tip:

    You can also choose a custom metadata schema by clicking the Metadata Standard drop-down arrow and choosing Select Custom Schema.

    The Browse to schema root dialog box appears.

11. Navigate to the root schema .xsd document you want to validate your stand-alone metadata items against.
    Note:

    Correctly identifying the root schema document is important to obtaining an accurate and complete validation of your metadata schema. Consult the author of your custom metadata schema if there is any doubt.

12. In the Check Options area, check the Validate Metadata Content check box then click Configure to configure the metadata element expression.

    The Metadata Content Validation dialog box appears.

13. In the Element Expressions area, click the Pre-Defined Expression drop-down arrow and choose the predefined expression you want to use when evaluating metadata element content.
14. In the Element Expressions area, expand the Metadata Element tree view and check the check box next to the metadata element that you want to evaluate with the predefined expression.
    Note:

    The Metadata Element drop-down list remains disabled until you choose a predefined expression.

    Tip:

    To expedite check configuration, you can choose multiple metadata elements for evaluation against the currently selected predefined expression.

15. In the Element Expressions area, click Add Expression to add the metadata element or expression pair to the Configured Expressions list.
    Note:

    Each metadata element configured for content evaluation is represented as a single row in the Configured Expressions list.

16. If necessary, configured element/expression pairs can be removed from the check individually or in groups by doing the following:
    1. Individually select a single check or select a groups of checks with the SHIFT or CTRL keys in the Configured Expressions list.
    2. Right-click a selected row and click Remove Selected to remove the selected expressions.
17. Click OK to close the Metadata Content Validation dialog box.
18. If necessary, type descriptive text for the check results in the Notes text box in the Reviewer Remarks area.
19. If necessary, click the Severity drop-down arrow and choose a value that indicates the priority of the check's results in the Reviewer Remarks area.

    The severity indicates the importance of the check result. The values range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest priority and 5 being the lowest.

20. Click OK.
21. Save the batch job.
22. Click OK.