Need help about connection in ArcCatalog

Question

Hello,

I need to connect an excel sheet exist in a SQL server & this excel sheet is refreshable "update its data per day or per hour"

How Can I connect this excel sheet in ArcMap and continuation see the refreshable data and display it in ArcMap as a feature class and perform the required analysis?

Thanks.

LanceCole · Answer

As your XY data is contained in the excel sheet, you will need to replace the data in your ArcMap system each time you want to work with the data. This can be completed manually using the AddXY data, script this using Model Builder or using a scripting language such as Python.  You could run a model on demand in ArcGIS to delete the current data and replace it with the info contained in the excel sheet.  The advantage of using Python is you can schedule this to run at specified intervals or on demand unattended.  Here is an example of a python script for XY spreadsheet to geodatabase using python.

You will also need to delete or truncate the previously copied data in your system prior to replacing it with the new data. Overwriting can be allowed in python using the arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True in your script or you can just delete the feature.  I would also recommend working with a CSV file rather than an XLS or XLSX file.  Excel files can be temperamental. One other caveat, mind your coordinate systems and make sure the coordinate system in your excel data matches what you are working with in your ArcGIS system.  You may need to perform a transformation as part of your import workflow.

LearningAlaa · Answer

Thanks for your response, my request is that I want to Add an Excel sheet have XY coordinates and multiple fields into the ArcMap system but this Excel sheet is refreshable ( means there is increasing in records for every day) I want this update in the excel sheet to appear in ArcMap directly, how to link this to automatically appear if any point where added to the excel sheet ?

LanceCole · Answer

To add the excel sheet to ArcMap please see Adding a Microsoft Excel table to ArcMap.  This will appear under the List by Source tab of your table of contents.

To display this in ArcMap either the excel sheet has to have X, Y and Z (if needed) data or it need to have a common index to link the data to other features.  I am assuming the excel sheet has the coordinate data you can use Adding x,y coordinate data as a layer.  This data will now display in your ArcMap session.

As to what else you are trying to do, it is a little ambiguous and you would need to clarify your request.