topic Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?) in Data Management Questions

Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

johnpolo — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:04:58 GMT

I am adding a text/string field, "countyname", to a shapefile table. When I use Field Calculator to change the new fields to "Delaware", I get this error message

The calculated value is invalid for the row with ObjectID = 0. For example, the calculated value may be too large for the field or you may be trying to add a string to a number field. This row will not be updated. Do you want to process the rest of the rows?

It goes on with a warning about what happens if I say yes or no. I select Yes and the process fails. I don't know why this is happening or why it's referring to ObjectID = 0, when there is no such ObjectID. ObjectID starts with 1.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

AdrianWelsh — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:15:31 GMT

Sometimes field calculator is buggy. Are you in an edit session? Have you tried restarting ArcMap and making sure this file isn't open anywhere else? Sometimes it takes a few times and some troubleshooting to make the field calculator work.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

WesMiller — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:37:32 GMT

You may also want to check your field properties to make sure the field type is string and length is 8 or greater.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

johnpolo — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 18:12:20 GMT

Adrian, I was not in an edit session. I did restart ArcMap. The shape was only in ArcMap. Thanks for the suggestions, but I still have the problem.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

johnpolo — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 18:14:27 GMT

Wes, yes, I selected text and 150 characters. I checked the properties to confirm. Thanks for the suggestion.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

WesMiller — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 18:21:20 GMT

Just to make sure are enclosing your text in quotes?

Using the Calculate Field tool—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

JayantaPoddar — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 18:31:09 GMT

Try exporting the shapefile to File GDB feature class, and work on it. Does the issue persist?

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 19:48:20 GMT

or even export it to a new shapefile, I suspect that an index file has somehow been set out of sync. I have seen this before, so either to a geodatabase or a shapefile will either fix it or identify errors. Should the file be a poly* type, then try running a repair geometry to ensure that there are no geometry errors which might foul up the indices.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

johnpolo — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 19:59:08 GMT

That was it: missing quotes.

*headdesk*

Thank you, Wes.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

johnpolo — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 19:59:39 GMT

Thank you, Jayantar. Got it figured out.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

johnpolo — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 20:00:45 GMT

Actually, I missed something obvious: quotes. Thanks, Dan, for replying.

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

AdrianWelsh — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 21:26:13 GMT

why can't ArcGIS just come out and tell us what we are doing wrong?!? I have been there many times with the quotes thing. It happens to all of us...

Re: Field Calculator error on ObjectID = 0, which doesn't exist(?)

LukacsDavid — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 17:11:05 GMT

Yes.. The problem was the missing of the quotes: In case of adding a text/string field to a shapefile table, you should write like this:

arcpy.CalculateField_management("Layer_Name","Column_Name", '"String/text_you_want_to_add"')