topic Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option, in ArcGIS Enterprise Questions

Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JamalNUMAN — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 21:47:30 GMT

Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

For example, in the screenshot below, as a feature is digitized, its value in the “f2” field gets empty. What I wanted here is to avoid having an empty value and thus once a new feature is digitized, then the ArcMap shall ask for an entry for that feature for the “f2” field. I’m aware of that the “default value” could be a solution, however, I need the data entry to be forcibly required to choose a value from the list to avoid the empty value.

Thank you

Best

Jamal

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

AbdullahAnter — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 21:28:30 GMT

If you don't want to use default value. so I prefer to active Display the attributes dialog before storing new features. This in Editing toolbar menu > options... > Attributes Tab ( look to below picture)

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JamalNUMAN — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 22:19:31 GMT

Thanks Abdullah.

What I meant here is to force entering values for fields but not to have pop-up dialogue box such that the system will never proceed unless the values are entered and thus no “empty” values are allowed.

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

DanPatterson_Retired — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 22:27:58 GMT

seems like it is working as designed... perhaps an https://community.esri.com/community/arcgis-ideas?sr=search&searchId=48a7020c-5528-4f99-aee8-aa97ce12e1b7&searchIndex=0‌

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JayantaPoddar — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 06:33:47 GMT

Defining domains would be the best option available.

Or working on Domain with subtypes. Here you can define a different default domain value for each subtype. Create subtypes and attribute domains

And you could lock the Attribute Editor window while editing so that you get the option to edit the attributes each time you create a feature.

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JamalNUMAN — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:01:02 GMT

Hi Jayanta,

Neither domain nor subtype can resolve the issue due to the fact that ArcMap accepts “empty” value even in case you have domain or subtype.

But how can I apply this:

“And you could lock the Attribute Editor window while editing so that you get the option to edit the attributes each time you create a feature”

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JayantaPoddar — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 05:12:10 GMT

I was just mentioning the attribute window in Editor toolbar.

Once locked, the attribute window will be available alongwith the data frame for interactive editing of attributes.

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JamalNUMAN — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 21:35:21 GMT

Thanks.

But this will never “force” you to fill data for the fields in question and thus they can be left “empty”!

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 21:49:31 GMT

It seems to be the design that you don't agree with, as I suggested earlier, post on https://community.esri.com/community/arcgis-ideas?sr=search&searchId=97032e75-b302-4eaf-87a7-753cf30687da&searchIndex=0‌ or put a workflow case through your local representatives. That is the only way things get changed. If it doesn't work the way you want, then maybe no one has told them, or there is a very good reason why it doesn't. Give it a try and report back

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

AhmadSALEH1 — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 15:12:04 GMT

Dear Jamal,

Have you tried feature templates (F.T)? if the field f2 has a number of known values lets say (v1,v2,v3) you can create 3 feature templates an each time you can assign deferent value for f2. When the user start editing your F.C he will have 3 F.T and he should select one of them to digitize the point the values of f2 will be entered directly based on what was defined in the feature template.

Thanks,

Ahmad

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

JamalNUMAN — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 19:49:52 GMT

Thanks Ahmad.

I wanted to fix this issue at the level of Desktop so that it can be inherited when the layer is published and consumed in a web mapping application. With the solution you have already proposed, I think this might not work

Re: Disallowing “empty” value for a field without applying the “default value” option,

KevinMacLeodCAI — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 13:28:01 GMT

Greetings@JayantaPoddar - we are also using Collector and JS API web apps and I want to force end users to pick and choose from some values in a domain list. It should not allow them to submit and click OK on Collector unless they choose the value in these fields. I am aware of the Disallow Nulls and how it just makes it a "" or a 0. That is basically the same thing, in reality. (I know what a true DBNULL is; but a "" is the same thing conceptually in this regard) It seems this concept of Esri geodatabase design needs engineering, so it can prevent empty user entries. It should make users choose from the domain values.

Anyhow, do you know of any other way or workaround with the Esri platform to make users choose a value from a list of domain values? Or enter text to a string field? For Collector, mostly; but also for apps on JSAPI. This is an essential part of most field GIS to ensure users are doing everything that needs to be done for inspections. Thank you all for any advice.