Copy attributes with workflow manager

Question

Hello!

I would like to create a simple workflow that acts the following task:

1) I select a feature from layer1 that is going to be give the attributes

2) select the feature on layer2, where I want to paste the the selected attributes

can you help me please, how I can implement the task?

JFarmer · Answer

Thanks for the information. Based on what you're looking for here, you'll need to do the automation piece of this programmatically. That is, you'll need to write a script (Python would do it) to copy the attributes from layer1 to layer2. Workflow Manager itself couldn't do that but we could guide the user along that process.

If you wrote a script to do the copy and paste work, you could simply create a step in the workflow using the Execute GP Tool step type. This step will execute a GP tool, model, or script without displaying the dialog box (and, thus, making it seamless for the end user). If you did want to have the user input parameters into a dialog box for the tool, you could use the Launch GP Tool step type.

Since you are using Pro, another option could be using tasks. Workflow Manager has a step type for Pro to launch a pre-made task which could walk the user through the process. Tasks in Pro are great for walking users through workflows they may not know all that well and could be useful here too. You could use that same custom Python script and run it through a task or even use out of the box GP tools (like Copy and Append) to accomplish the work.

Hope that helps. I've included some links below with some of our documentation on these topics as well.

Workflow Manager (Classic) Custom Steps: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/workflow-manager/workflow-manager-classic-custom-steps.htm

What is a task? https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/tasks/whatistask.htm

Jonathan

ChrisGiles123 · Answer

1) I use Workflow Manager Classic

2) ArcGIS Pro -  Desktop

3) I want to make workflow that guides the users , but automaticly copyies the attributes

4) A I want to copy attributes from layer1, that has the same value in both layers (so fow example I have the layer1= lanes and layer2 = road, so I want to copy the road_type (ex. highway) from road, as its the same.

5)  yes these are common attributes so road_type for example

Thank you very much for your help 🙂

JFarmer · Answer

Hi,

Happy to try to help here! I do have some questions though to better understand your ask.

* Are you using Workflow Manager Classic or Workflow Manager Server?
* Depending on your answer above, where are you envisioning users will work with these layers? ArcGIS Pro? A web application?
* Are you looking for an automatic process or a workflow that will guide users through this process?
* What attributes are you wanting to select and copy and paste? All of them from layer 1 or just a subset?
* Are the attributes tables for layer 1 and 2 the same? Some more information on what these layers are would help here.

There are a number of ways you could do something like this which is why I ask for more detail. It would help to narrow things down a bit and get you headed in the right direction.

Jonathan