Provide the number of records modified and the ability to see those records selected in the attribute table after running a geoprocessing tool

[TylerKnebel]

After running the snap geoprocessing tool, I want to get a count of how many features were modified, and I want an option to see those features selected in the attribute table. I need to know which specific records were modified so I can then run a field calculator on one of the fields for each feature that was modified. I basically need to flag the records that were modified after running the geoprocessing tool. I'm a GIS Specialist that works on a production team. From a business standpoint, we need know how many records we are updating so we can run reports for our customers. For example, if I can get a count after running the tool and it informs me 500 records were modified by running the geoprocessing tool, and lets say there is a total of 1000 records, I can then inform the customer that I completed 50% of this portion of the project, assuming we are contracted to snap a specific line feature to a specific point feature. This enhancement requests is not just for the snap geoprocessing tool, but should be applied to all geoprocessing tools. When you open the results window after running a tool, it only tells you if the tool executed or not. We need much more information than that. 

[BillFox]

Hi Tyler,

From your examples, maybe you can take advantage of the editor tracking options in your feature classes to get a head start on this request.

About tracking an editor's changes to data—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

-Bill

[TylerKnebel]

Hello Bill

I appreciate the response and I'm familiar with tracking edits per user as our internal programming team has this functionality built into our geodatabases. This does not necessarily get me what I need or want though, and is essentially more work for the user to determine what records were modified after running the tool. Other scripting applications such as SQL provide you with an output after executing a query or tool. It provides you with  a count and the ability to make further updates such as updating fields or running field calculators on those modified records. This seems to be pretty standard across other querying and scripting tools. I'm very surprised ESRI has not recognized this and made enhancements to there geoprocessing tools, in the sense of what information it communicates to the user after the tool has been executed. I think this tool would be very beneficial from a business standpoint from the example I provided above@@. By providing an output after running the tool it allows you to create reports, such as flagging other fields on the modified records. This provides transparency to your customers as you can then provide them percentages on the completion of the work that has been contracted out. It also allows GIS Managers to track metrics on the production levels of GIS production specialists. Again, drawing from the example above, if I get an output after running the tool saying I updated 500 records, I can generate a percentage that i have completed for that tasks.  

[BillFox]

Tyler,

While you wait for this idea to be implemented, maybe including some dirty area reporting tools with a geodatabase topology can help provide some of the detail required.