topic Re: Query Relationship Classes? in Geodatabase Questions

Query Relationship Classes?

EricMahaffey1 — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 18:56:26 GMT

I can't seem to find anything that describes what to do with relationship classes once they are built. Until now, all I can do is identify on the features in ArcMap, then click through the tree structure within the identify window in order to see the related records. That's fine, but what about the ability to query the related features/records? For instance, suppose you had a relationship class built for relating city blocks to the parcels within them. I'd like to build a query to show all parcels that are "related" to a particular city block. I just can't seem to find any guidance on doing these types of queries. Thanks in advance.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

Asrujit_SenGupta — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 19:10:54 GMT

By query, I assume you referring to SQL queries from Database end.

Why do you need to use the Relationship class to query related records? Finding related records can be done through pretty simple queries. If you are facing issues creating SQL queries, maybe provide us a sample of data that you have and the query that you have tried.

Correct me if I misunderstood the question.

You can check below anyway:

Benefits of relationship classes—Help | ArcGIS Desktop

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

JakeSkinner — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 19:56:03 GMT

Hi Eric,

Add the feature class/tables to ArcMap that participate in the relationship class. Open the attribute table of the city blocks feature class/table and perform your selection. At the top left of the attribute table you click on the 'Related Tables' tool.

This will list the related tables. Selecting the related table will open the attribute table of the parcels with the selected records.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

EricMahaffey1 — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 21:01:08 GMT

I'd like to be able to do some basic queries on the related data through ArcMap. Currently when I try to do a definition query, there's no option to access the related data. Basically my question is, once the relationship classes are created, what can we do with them?

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

EricMahaffey1 — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 21:06:03 GMT

Thanks Jake. I think I'll need to look at it a little more. I think what I'm trying to come up with is a way to run some canned queries based on common values within the related data, and have these queries embedded within a geoprocessing model or python script. Then I can attach to a tool, and give the end user some basic query/display capability to look at how the data is related with each other.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

JakeSkinner — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 21:07:07 GMT

Here are the benefits of relationship classes:

Benefits of relationship classes—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

The Web AppBuilder Query Widget allows you to interact with the related info too:

Query widget—Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS | ArcGIS

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

EricMahaffey1 — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:04:50 GMT

So looking at it a little more, I'm still not finding anything that answers my question. I'm working within ArcGIS Desktop so using a Web App Query Widget won't be an option. For years I've used Select By Attributes, and Definition Queries to parse out different pieces of data that have similar attributes. Why can't these tools reach through a relationship class to all of the data? Going back to my Blocks and Parcels example, suppose there many parcels being owned by a single person. I'd like to select or query out only those parcels (without adding an owner field to parcels and mass populating it with redundant owner names). Or another example would be, I'd like to select/query for all blocks that owner "John Doe" or "Sally Smith" has property in. I hope what I'm saying makes sense, because I'd really like to benefit from the relational data that we're assembling.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

JakeSkinner — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:14:02 GMT

Going back to my Blocks and Parcels example, suppose there many parcels being owned by a single person. I'd like to select or query out only those parcels (without adding an owner field to parcels and mass populating it with redundant owner names).

For this example, you would add the parcel feature class and owner table to ArcMap. Perform your select by attribute on the owner table. Open the attribute table of the owner table > click on the 'Related Tables' button > select the relationship class to the Parcel feature class. The parcel feature class attribute table will open with the selected parcels.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

EricMahaffey1 — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:23:19 GMT

Thanks Jake. That works. I'll do some more testing, and maybe come back with some more questions. I appreciate the feedback.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

EricMahaffey1 — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 19:33:40 GMT

Jake,

So I've tinkered with this a bit more, and I'm getting the results I'm looking for by doing selections on the features or geometry, then clicking the relationship class under Related Tables in the Table window. Do you happen to know if this workflow is accessible in Python? Searching for geoprocessing tools within ArcGIS Desktop doesn't yield anything beyond the building of relationship classes. I essentially want to build some tools the allow the user to do some basic querying, and which results in the selection and display of related features/records. The problem is, I have to work within the dekstop environment at the moment.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

NealBanerjee — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 20:17:07 GMT

I too have this problem and surprised more folks arent asking for it. If I am understanding Eric's question, what I believe we really want is to be able to access and query a field in a separate table that is defined through a relationship class (or relate) using a SQL expression.

For example if I have parcel table that has physical and economic information (acreage, value, etc.) joined through a common Parcel ID to an owner table that has information on owners (name, etc.). If I "in" the owner table and I want to query owners associated with parcels that are greater than some size (say 5 acres), where parcel size is in the parcel table, it would be nice to do that "programatically" in code use SQL and/or Python rather than doing the query and clicking a button on the interface to select those records.

This functionality was actually available back in the ArcInfo workstation days (using "Info and "Tables" ). Back then you could name a relate, and then access fields in the related table using the relate name similar to example below:

select <relate name>//<related column name> > 5

select ownpar//area_ac > 5

If this functionality is somehow available now, I would love to know.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

JoeBorgione — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:36:39 GMT

I just found this : Select Related Records Dated, but it also links to a gp tool Bruce Harold‌ wrote in '15.

I'd forgotten about the INFO style if relates; brings back memories!

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

BruceHarold — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:49:58 GMT

Actually my tool was to emulate the KEYFILE selection option in ArcPlot's various selection commands, it doesn't use relates. Somebody can create an Ideas entry and we'll track it. I used to use keyfile selects all the time.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

JoeBorgione — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 08:44:18 GMT

Vote early and vote often.... https://community.esri.com/ideas/15991

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

MaazaMekuria — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 21:03:44 GMT

I am not sure if this would help and i think it should work with both AGOL and ArcPro, I was pleasantly surprised to find and AGOL Python API method that queries related records at https://esri.github.io/arcgis-python-api/apidoc/html/arcgis.features.toc.html?highlight=related_records#arcgis.features.FeatureLayerCollection.query_related_records

The only caveat is one has to sleuth out the relationship id. If any of you how to query the relationship id from the feature layer , I would be grateful if you share with me. I feel the API documentation is lacking in detail very little description is provided and there is scant sample code.

Re: Query Relationship Classes?

Cmyers_lawrencks — Thu, 02 May 2024 21:18:07 GMT

Hilariously, I am now necro-posting here to repeat that this features is desirable for me too. My boss tells me the best way to understand this "missing feature" is that joins and relates and "summarize within" are better tools to use without having to set up a SQL database.