topic Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable in Data Management Questions

I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:52:09 GMT

I have a field with times, I need to create a new field (which I've done) and populate it with a "1" if the record meets the criteria of being 9 (minutes) or less. My novice approach tells me to use Calculate Field tool from the Toolbox but I'm having trouble with the Field Calculator in formulating the proper expression.

If it were a couple dozen rows, Id manually input them but I have 50K worth of instances to sort and populate based on that variable (if I'm saying that correctly). Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

AnthonyGiles — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:05:45 GMT

larry,

Try something like this in your field calculator:

Tick the Show Codeblock

Code:

If [TimeField] <= 9 Then
Newfield = 1
Else
Newfield = 0
End If

And below:
Fieldname =
Newfield

Regards

Anthony

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:09:26 GMT

Awesome Anthony, much thanks.

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:31:33 GMT

larry,

Try something like this in your field calculator:

Tick the Show Codeblock

Code:

If [TimeField] <= 9 Then
Newfield = 1
Else
Newfield = 0
End If

And below:
Fieldname =
Newfield

Regards

Anthony

Anthony,

I'm missing something. See the attached clip. [ATTACH=CONFIG]21749[/ATTACH]

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:33:52 GMT

Or, take a look at the calculator dialog. Maybe my error will glare a little brighter....[ATTACH=CONFIG]21750[/ATTACH]

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

AnthonyGiles — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:00:12 GMT

Larry,

Are your resptime and lessthan9 fields set as integer values or string. If they are string put speech marks around your 9, 1 and 0 values

Regards

Anthony

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:36:08 GMT

Anthony,

The RESPTIME field is float, the LESSTHAN9 field is text. So:

IF[RESPTIME] <=9 THEN
LESSTHAN9 = "1"
ELSE
LESSTHAN9 = "0"
END IF

I am a little confused, don't I need brackets enclosing the field on the second and fourth line? Also, If I check the Show Codeblock toggle, the LESSTHAN9= shows up above the bottom field; what is required in that lower field? I know your example showed something there but I'm still a little unclear about that.

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

AnthonyGiles — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:44:21 GMT

Larry,

no you don't need brackets around the 2 & 4 lines as all you are doing is assigning a value to a variable in this case called lessthan9. In the bottom box your telling your field lessthan9 to be equal to the variable lessthan9 from the code block above.

Hope that make sense

Regards

Anthony

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:51:18 GMT

Yes it does. And while you were responding I tried to run the calculation again, this time I typed it out all on one single line instead of a structure format like your example and it is now running (still crunching at 79%, as if it working correctly it will be adding a "1" to approximately 30,000 records) so, at least it didn't error out this time. I'll let you know if it worked. Thanks for your patience.

I'm new to expressions and using the Field Calculator and would appreciate any resources (PDF's or websites) for beginners you can point me to....

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

AnthonyGiles — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:59:46 GMT

Larry,

There are examples in the help, here:

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/Calculate_Field_examples/005s0000002m000000/

Or if you want to know more about vbscript a good place is w3schools:

http://www.w3schools.com/vbscript/vbscript_examples.asp

Regards

Anthony

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

MarkBoucher — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:06:46 GMT

I'm a novice at Python. What I do know is that indents mean something in if-then code. I would have written the original script with at least one space in front of the words "Newfield". When I paste it in this forum's text box, the spaces get removed. That could be why Anthony's code didn't have the indentation.

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

AnthonyGiles — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:44:44 GMT

Larry,

Another useful resource can be found here:

http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0405/files/fieldcalc_1.pdf

Regards

Anthony

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:02:51 GMT

Larry,

Another useful resource can be found here:

http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0405/files/fieldcalc_1.pdf

Regards

Anthony

Thanks Anthony,

Found that one this morning in between our thread posts. I'm going to print and hang Page 7 as a reference guide for future needs. I appreciate the links. All worked out when I straightened out my formatting issue (just type it all as one, continuous line and included the double quotes for the string values in the newly created text field.

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

LarryGaudieri — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:05:27 GMT

My a novice at Python. What I do know is that indents mean something in if-then code. I would have written the original scrpt with at least one space in front of the words "Newfield". When I paste it in this forum's text box, the spaces get removed. That could be why Anthony's code didn't have the indentation.

Thanks for the input. I read something about indent sensativity in Python as well (although, I left the radio button on VBScript) and have some curiousity about the python language too. So, I'm going to start my training and research efforts to that end.

Re: I need help adding an integer to certain records based on a variable

AnthonyGiles — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:08:49 GMT

Larry,

Glad you got it to work, please don't forget to mark the post as answered by clicking the arrow on the pat that gave you the answer,

Regards

Anthony