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Generate unique id/way point?

jeremysarrow

Trying to have a point shape file that generates a unique id in arc pad while collecting data in the filed. I know there is the Object ID number but this does not show up until after you are done entering data. I basically need a unique id like a way point that the field person can see while entering the data and write down in their field notes as well.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

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BenjaminAmaira

Hi all

I know this is an old post but hoping this reply gets to the author or answers indox.

I have used the script detailed by Clearybros11 to create the Unique ID in a field on my form and it works. However, when I load the form I get a message saying:

Microsoft VBScript Runtime Error
Object Required: 'Applet'
[Line: 2 Column: 1]
Source Text Unavailable

I can close the message and carry on inputting my data and it is recoverable from ArcPad for use in ArcMap. However, I envisage several queries from the form users if I can't get rid of this error message appearing everytime they want to record data.

Can anyone help stop this happening?

Thank you for any help.

Regards

KyleSato

Hi Steve!
Thank you very much for your assistance. With your code I was able to get it to work. I think the problem was I wanted the Unique ID on a different page, where as the code is written for page one.
Thanks again for your help!

SteveFitzgerald

Kyle,
The attached example from above worked for me. Try it out on your system and let us know.

Steve

TestUniqueID.zip

KyleSato

Option Explicit
Dim varUniqueID

Sub UniqueID

 ' CREATE THE VARAIBLE AND ASSIGN IT THE CREATED GUID
 ' Dim createUniqueID
                ' I commented this varaible out because I delclared it global above in the option explicit...you can delete the global varaible and declare it here if you want...
                ' globally you can do other stuff with it...
 varUniqueID= System.CreateGuid

 ' NEXT YOU HAVE TO GRAB THE FORM PAGE AND ASSIGN THE VARAIBLE TO THE TEXTBOX

 Dim objRS, objSelLayer, objEFPageOneControls3, objEditForm3
 Set objSelLayer = Map.SelectionLayer
 Set objRS = objSelLayer.Records
 objRS.Bookmark = Map.SelectionBookmark

 Set objEditForm3 = application.map.layers("Outfalls").forms("EDITFORM")
 Set objEFPageOneControls3 = objEditForm3.Pages("page1").Controls

 objEFPageOneControls3("Edit1").Value = varUniqueID

End Sub

Hi Jay, I too am new to coding. I have followed your instructions step by step, but for some reason the Unique ID field is blank. Do you have any other advice why this may not work on my unit? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Kyle

DaveAlmond

If you have more than one field staff entering data in the same feature class during the same minute then you could certainly duplicate IDs. I am the only person at my organization creating and editing our field data, so we have used this method for two years without any duplicates or issues. In the end, it is much easier to manually enter the Julian date instead of relying on or programming ArcPad to create unique IDs. I think most folks here are able to distinguish what will work for their intended application instead of opting for thoughtless hyperbole in lieu of rational consideration....

RobertMcCann

We simply created a field for out unique ID and enter it manually. So if I was entering the unique ID at the time of this writing, I would simply enter 1107271120 for 11-year, 07-Month, 27-day, 1120- hour. It requires typing with each feature created, but it is simple.

This is an absolutely horrible idea... At least set the default value of a date field to "now()". As soon as you have more than one field user, this method will NOT WORK!

Currently (ArcPad 10) if you add a GUID field to your feature class in a GDB and check it out to ArcPad, it will set the default value to "newid()" which will give you an unique ID every time. I suggest doing it this way.

DaveAlmond

We simply created a field for out unique ID and enter it manually. So if I was entering the unique ID at the time of this writing, I would simply enter 1107271120 for 11-year, 07-Month, 27-day, 1120- hour. It requires typing with each feature created, but it is simple.

KearyHowley

Hi Stormwater12,

I tried to use the AXF data/time stamp to implement your recommended Julian Date (yymmdd +24:00 time) method to log a unique feature ID. This works fine on ArcPad in the field. The issue I'm having now is the values are being dropped when I check the data back into the file geodatabase. Have you experienced this issue? A little more inof on how you set this up would be appreciated.
Thx

DaveAlmond

All-
We gave up on relying on ArcPad to generate unique IDs for us and simply use the Julian Date (yymmdd +24:00 time) which also allows us to sort our files by date/time of creation. You could add seconds if you 're blazing through more than one feature per minute, but the best part....no coding necessary!

jeremysarrow

Thanks for all the detailed info jay. I'll give it a try and let you know how it works out!

Thanks,

JayKappy

My only thought on that....I jsut tested it and it works...is the long number.
I am using my Unique ID to create photo names etc. If you have a 30 digit number in front of the image it makes things tough....

On forom load I simply query my feature class and find the Max number in a number field.
I then add 1 to the number and assign it as the new Unique number...

This way I have can rename my images to something like this

Unique ID _ Field Name _ Time Stamp . jpg

234_Image1_5_5_2010.jpg

Then in ArcGIS I can click a feature and get its unique ID, then query a folder for all images that start with that unique number.

Just a thought

JayKappy

Rolf, I'm a bit of a novice with ArcPad. Would I do this script in ArcStudio in the axf file on the desk top, create a new field for the unique ID and then load it into the Trimble unit? Thanks for any additional guidance on how to do this.

jsarrow....yes you would have to do it in ArcStudio.....I can show you but basically if this is workign as I think:

OnFormOpen you would declare a global varaiable.
This use this varaible to populate a textbox that is set to the UNique attribute.....

Something like this:

In ArcStudio under Feature Layers you should see the layer you are going after. Double Click it
This will open the design mode for the form
when you open the form in design mode click Form Tab and properties.
There is then a Events Tab
CLick this and then click "OnLoad"
In the box write: Call UniqueID
This will be the Sub routine you will create later

Close this dialog but not the one for the form....THere is a little blue script in the tool bar (edit script)
Click this to create a new script page.
In that script page do something like this.

NOTE:
Outfalls below is the naem of the layer that I am going to be updating....
page1 is the page number, or the tab number...depends on how many tabs you have and which one....you can click the tab in design mode and click "Page" "Properties" then Name is what you would use there....it defaults to (page1, page2, page3 etc)

In the script page place this code there...on load it should call this sub routine, create the unique id and assign it to the textbox of your chooseing...when you close the record this will be assign to the field attribute

In my case:
Outfalls is the feature class I am updating
its on page1 or the first tab
Edit1 is the name of the textbox I am updating on page1

Option Explicit
Dim varUniqueID

Sub UniqueID

 ' CREATE THE VARAIBLE AND ASSIGN IT THE CREATED GUID
 ' Dim createUniqueID
                ' I commented this varaible out because I delclared it global above in the option explicit...you can delete the global varaible and declare it here if you want...
                ' globally you can do other stuff with it...
 varUniqueID= System.CreateGuid

 ' NEXT YOU HAVE TO GRAB THE FORM PAGE AND ASSIGN THE VARAIBLE TO THE TEXTBOX

 Dim objRS, objSelLayer, objEFPageOneControls3, objEditForm3
 Set objSelLayer = Map.SelectionLayer
 Set objRS = objSelLayer.Records
 objRS.Bookmark = Map.SelectionBookmark

 Set objEditForm3 = application.map.layers("Outfalls").forms("EDITFORM")
 Set objEFPageOneControls3 = objEditForm3.Pages("page1").Controls

 objEFPageOneControls3("Edit1").Value = varUniqueID

End Sub

JayKappy

Rolf

ArcPad can generate a unique id using
strID = System.CreateGuid

Is it as simple as:
Dim Test
Test = System.CreateGuid

How is this number being created? I have code that grabs the max ID from a field and adds 1 to create a new id, but am interseted in this approach....
Looking to test time differences on the Juno unit to see which is more eficiant...I would imagin eht eCreateGuid would be since I dont hav to build and run the SQL query....

Any thoughts to how the CreateGuid is created?

Thanks

jeremysarrow

Rolf, I'm a bit of a novice with ArcPad. Would I do this script in ArcStudio in the axf file on the desk top, create a new field for the unique ID and then load it into the Trimble unit? Thanks for any additional guidance on how to do this.

RolfBroch

ArcPad can generate a unique id using

strID = System.CreateGuid

request.

Rolf

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