Re: PostgreSQL + PostGIS - "mining" FGDC metadata of GIS datasets

Hi Greg,
I found some more information that can be useful to your cause.
If I understand your project correctly, you want to extract the metadata from the geodatabase and make it available as information it's self. ESRI has two products that do that: Metadata Server and Portal Took Kit, they each do it a little differently and use different underlying products. So, perhaps their implementations can help you in planning your project. The help for both of those products are freely available on line.

As to the fundamental issue of using the metadata stored by the geodatabase, the metadata is ultimately stored as a blob in one of the geodatabase tables found in the database, to extract or read that blob you will need either ArcObject or use the ArcSDE C api. Below, is a link to a short KB article and a link to a discussion forum on the subject.
http://kbplus/kbdoc.asp?dbid=23024
http://forums.esri.com/thread.asp?c=2&f=59&t=110313#314199

Best Wishes,
Kasia