Add possibility to remove all "Match" columns when geocoding from ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap

[LarsElmkær_Chwastek]

When geocoding addresses in ArcGIs Pro or ArcMap, the result will comprise of not only your own original data, but also a lot of coloumns that are related to the matching/geocoding process. It would be extremely helpful to be able to choose whether or not you wanted that data in your resulting Feature Class.

The extra data not only clouds the original data but also enhances the size of the file A LOT.

Furthermore when geocoding in ArcGIS Pro, the geocoding process adds "IN_" to some of the matching Field names and "USER_" to the original datas Field names... WHY? The Field names are named as they are for a reason, which is futile if ArcGIS Pro renames them anyway.. This does not happen when geocoding in ArcGIS Maps for Office or directly in ArcGIS Online.

In ArcMap the geocoding process adds "ARC_" to some of the matching Field names.

These functionalities should be remowed or at least made optional.

N.B. This Idea is posted on behalf of a customer!

[DavidTreering2]

#geocoding #arcgis pro #field name

This addition of USER_ prefix to the output fields of a geocoded table is not helpful.  Why change the field name?  I can't Append a new result to an existing schema.

[ColeAndrews]

Yes. And Pro takes forever if you run the delete fields tool on all of the geocoder fields added when geocoding in Pro (I'm using streetmap locator). It's faster to make a feature layer and change the visibility to 'hidden' for all of the geocoder fields. But the worst part is renaming my fields back to what they should be, without the "user" prefix. I have this set up in modelbuilder, and the 'alter field' tool configuration only allows one field modification at a time. So I have a huge model just to clean up the fields that the geocoder messed with.

[DavidTreering2]

Instead of using the Alter Field tool, I am doing a spatial join as one of the steps after geocoding.  By specifying the field map to rename output fields, I get the field names back to what I need them to be in just one step.  You could probably accomplish this with a simple Table to Table or Feature Class to Feature Class.

That said, I still agree that the Match field prefixing should be optional.

[ColeAndrews]

What are you spatial joining to? Is that an independent step in your process because you need the join regardless (and it just so happens you can field map it too), or are you joining specifically to resolve the field change issues?

[DavidTreering2]

The Spatial Join is just a separate step that is happening anyway, “and it just so happens I can field map it too.” Sorry that wasn’t clear.

--

David Treering, GISP, GIS Developer

Geographic Information Systems Department

Cook County Bureau of Technology

69 West Washington Street, 27th Floor

Chicago, IL 60602

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david.treering@cookcountyil.gov<mailto:david.treering@cookcountyil.gov>

[AndrewWallick2]

I'm agreed that I'd very much like to see this changed. Just having a check box saying something like "Discard all added fields after geocoding is finished" would help a lot.

[NickDierks1]

By my count, geocoding via ArcMap has been adding 31 fields to my schema. That's more than is in most of my datasets! And all of them come before my actual data. My workaround has been to geocode into a temporary feature class and then append that to the master feature class. But then again, none of my own fields were renamed in the process, so field mapping has been pretty simple.

But I'm definitely all for bypassing those extra fields to begin with. I only kept a couple (which locator was used, and how the point was matched/mapped), but I can easily live without them.

[ColeAndrews]

I also have issues knowing which field is which in modelbuilder after geocoding. For example, after geocoding, the streetmap geocoder is outputting 3 or 4 fields named "city". The streetmap geocoder is applying the same alias to multiple fields (IN_city, USER_city, city) . When you add a tool, such as "Alter Fields", modelbuilder is only showing the field alias, so it's difficult to know which "city" field in the dropdown corresponds to each of the geocoder fields. 

For an attribute table, you can disable field aliases. Can you disable aliases in modelbuilder, or is this a current limitation? Shitij Mehta‌

[ShitijMehta]

Hello Andrews,

Unfortunately, for this field list control there is no way to turn off the field alias and show just the name. I understand the problem with multiple alias and i see why this is bad, but for now you would need to change the alias. We usually encourage no duplicate field names or alias for this reason. Testing to check If the Geocode Address is creating any duplicate alias. Our Geocode team members or I will let you know.

Also, for Alter multiple fields tool - we do have an open issue to write this new tool that allows altering more than one field so that models do not bloat. It is currently in discussion.

[KevinMayall]

You can just use Feature Class to Feature Class at the end of the geocode, and (1) in that FC2FC process delete all of the unwanted geocoder fields, and (2) in the Field Mapping screenshot above, click the Properties tab and rename the original fields to not have 'USER_'. 

Also, in your screenshot, you don't need a separate Delete Field process for each field.  You can list them all in one Delete Field step in your model.