GeoCoding Table | Esri Renames my fields | Would you change this so mine stay the same

[MichelleWilliamsERM]

Good day to you all,

When I geocode table the export file renames my fields User[my field name].

This is very cumbersome when I want to Append it to my current data. If Esri changed it's fields to Esri{filed name] then mine would stay the same and I wouldn't have to manually link them, my field would be correct for the APPEND tool.

Please thumbs up if you agree. 

It's fixing the code one time vs the end-users fumbling with it each time.

[ShanaBritt]

In ArcGIS Pro 2.7 and later you have the option to specify the output fields  you want returned in the geocode results. It sounds like you need to make use of the Minimal Output Fields option. A brief description can be found at step 6d. of the Convert a table to locations on the map help topic and more details can be found in the parameters section of the Geocode Addresses geoprocessing tool.

The default behavior is to return all of the output fields of the locator used to geocode the table, which includes the User_ fields, which are a copy of the original fields from the input table. More details about what is returned in the geocode result can be found here: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/data/geocoding/what-is-included-in-the-geocoded-result....

[KoryKramer]

See the explanation provided by Shana.

Thank you!

[AZendel]

When using one of our inhouse locators (served via ArcGIS Server), I don't get the option mentioned in step 6D mentioned above. And I often want the geocoding result fields, such as match type, score, standardized address, etc. They help me hunt down poor matches. But what I do NOT want is the USER_ prefix on all of the input fields. ArcMap didn't do this. ESRI, please provide an option to exclude the USER_ prefix regardless of what geocoding service/locator that you're using!

I think this idea should be reopened.

[MichelleWilliamsERM]

Thank you @AZendel I needed more traction on this issue. 

@ Esri please ask me why is this causing me so much pain. It looks like other users are hitting this same wall.

PS - We only write suggestions in this community when something is a pain point otherwise we'll find a workaround. 

[ShanaBritt]

@AZendel If you are using a local locator created with the Create Locator tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.7 or later you have the ability to use the Minimal output field option at step 6D in the help topic mentioned above. To be able to get this functionality with a geocode service, the locator must be published to ArcGIS Server/Enterprise 10.9 or later. See the note for the output fields parameter in the Geocode Addresses tool, https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/tool-reference/geocoding/geocode-addresses.htm.

[ShanaBritt]

@MichelleWilliamsERM  If you geocode a csv table with the Minimal output field option, where in your workflow of appending data do you lose your original fields or have to delete fields? 

[AZendel]

@ShanaBritt, thanks for clarifying! Our central GIS office manages our ArcGIS Server environment. A good number of people are on older versions of ArcMap, so I'm not sure if they can upgrade the locator yet. When that option is available, can you include the 'new' geocoding output fields (score, standardized address, etc.) and not have USER_ appended to the input fields? That would be the sweet spot for my needs. 

[ShanaBritt]

@AZendel  If you have a locator that was created with the Create Address Locator tool in either ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro, these locators do not support this output field option when geocoding, so you will always get the USER_ prefix appended to the geocode results whether the locator is local or a geocode service.

If you geocode your table with a local locator or geocode service based on a locator created with either the Create Locator tool or Create Feature Locator tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.7 and published to ArcGIS Server 10.9, you will have the option to return a minimal set of output fields in the geocoding tools. You also have the option to turn off the output fields you do not want in the Locator Properties. Below is a description of the output fields options.

> All— Includes all available locator output fields in the geocode results and includes the USER_ prefix on the original fields. This is the default.

> Location Only—Stores the Shape field in the geocode results. The original field names from the Input Table parameter are maintained with their original field names.

> Minimal—Adds the following fields that describe the location and how well it matches information in the locator in the geocode results: Shape, Status, Score, Match_type, Match_addr, and Addr_type. The original field names from the Input Table parameter are maintained.