topic Re: Importing field properties in a shapefile in Data Management Questions

Importing field properties in a shapefile

BenHawkins — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:10:26 GMT

I am creating many layers (for each floor of a building) and each have the same set of attributes (Room Number, Area, etc.) I am currently having to create them by using the 'Add Field' in the attribute table, and creating each attribute one at a time. My question is how can I import the attributes from one layer to another? I can right click on the layer in ArcCatalog, and go to Properties, the under the Fields tab there is a button labeled "Import" that is constantly grayed out. I feel like this worked in 9.3, but I can't figure out why it doesn't here, any ideas?

Re: Importing field properties in a shapefile

JohnSobetzer — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:45:24 GMT

It's also greyed out in my 9.3.1. I used the Enhanced Shapefile Creator Arcscript in ArcMap to create new shapefiles with imported fields in 9x. It won't install in my 10x which is unfortunate. For existing shapefiles I would either create a new one and copy the features into it, or I take a copy of an existing one with the fields I wanted, delete its features, and then add new ones to it.

Re: Importing field properties in a shapefile

AnastasiaMavridaki — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:16:33 GMT

you can import the fields from a shapefile in the creation of a feature class in a geodatabase.
You can create a geodatabase, create a feature class and import the fields that you want to keep of a shapefile and then export the feature class to a shapefile.

Re: Importing field properties in a shapefile

AnastasiaMavridaki — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:21:11 GMT

if you finish the creation of the feature class and you do not import the fields of a shapefile during the creation then you cannot import the field from the properties of feature class-->tab field because the button of Import is gray out.