What is the most efficient method for selecting a subset of mutual polygon boundaries bsaed on properties of the polygon shape file?

[WalterWitt]

I use ArcGIS 9.3.1 and want to select a subset of mutual polygon boundaries from a geology shape file. The selection will be based on the Rock Name properties of the polygons.

[JayantaPoddar]

The selection will be based on the Rock Name properties of the polygons.

Would you like to explain it in more detail, maybe with an example?

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP]

Because you are still using 9.3.1, you may be able to find a tool in one of the older (free) 3rd party tool sets like Hawths Analysis Tools for ArcGIS     Hawth's was used heavily for homerange and other analysis in the past, but for 10+ it was turned into an R base user interface...still using ArcGIS tools.  You will need a Spatial Anlysis extension for many of the tools in the tollbox, but there may be a tool  there that can do what you need.

There were several other popular 3rd party tools for 9.x including Xtools, although I'm not sure if you can still find the 9.x versions.  I found a link for a 9.2 download, but not sure about the site it brought me too (not xtools-pro) so I'm not posting here.

No a direct answer to your question, but some options to look at.

[WalterWitt]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I conclude that it is not easy to do what I want to do in ArcGIS. I do remember using an add on with Arc9.3.1 in another job. This add-on converted polygon shape files to line shape files, which may have been a useful start. 

In the end, for the problem I asked about, I digitised the required contacts manually - thankfully, it was not a huge task, but it could have been with a different data set. 

Anyway, thanks again. We can consider this discussion closed.