Add DDL operations (schema changes) to ArcGIS Pro SDK

[JohnFannon]

I have just started reviewing what's available in the ArcGIS Pro SDK for creating datasets and making geodatabase schema changes (e.g. creating feature classes, relationship classes, adding fields etc). It seems like the ONLY way in the Pro SDK to perform DDL operations, like creating a feature class, is via GeoProcessing tools.

Running GeoProcessing tools is fine for only the very basic scenarios, but if we want to create a feature class in code with a large number of fields, it is a) messy from a code perspective, b) gives a poor user experience and c) results in poor performance (as can be seen when attempting to add many fields manually in ArcGIS Pro).

DDL operations like these could be done easily in ArcObjects and DDL operations should also be possible in the Pro SDK, without having to run geoprocessing tools.

[BarbaraSchneider2]

At the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, we have four full time stereo interpreters that use four stereo interpretation applications running with ArcMap and Erdas Stereo Analyst. In order to migrate our applications to ArcGIS Pro, it is important that creating feature classes, geodatabase domains (including domain values), and geodatabase topology is fast. At the moment it is slow because Geoprocessing Tools are used for each step.

In our applications, the interpreters work at a sample plot for about 10 minutes and then go to the next one. Each time a sample plot is opened, the feature classes, geodatabase domains, and geodatabase topology are created from scratch programmatically. This is much less error-prone than using pre-created feature classes.

[Anonymous User]

The new DDL (Data Definition Language) API for geodatabase schema management is now in full release and supported with the ArcGIS Pro SDK 2.8.

Traditionally, developers have created geodatabase schema such as feature classes and standalone tables with the SDK by calling geoprocessing tools.  Developers are now able to use the new API to directly create, modify and delete geodatabase schema such as feature classes, tables and their attributes, and feature datasets and file geodatabases.

You can learn more in the ProConcepts DDL document to help you get started on the concepts, and review code snippets of some of the common patterns.

There will be additional DDL enhancements in future near-term releases, including support for relationship classes.

[AmeliaBradshaw]

This Idea has been implemented in ArcGIS Pro 3.1 as an option to create and delete indexes. Please see the What's New documentation for more new features in Pro 3.1.