Spatial join without creating a new feature class

[JakeKrall]

We used to be able to do a "spatial join without creating a new feature class" in AV 3.x.  This would be a most useful tool for everyday use it seems without creating useless feature classes that you have to go back and delete.

Esri, can't you bring this tool back from the archives for ArcGIS 10.1.x???

I would really like to see it added to the Toolbox!

[KoryKramer]

This is implemented in ArcGIS Pro 3.0 with the Add Spatial Join tool. See Ideas in ArcGIS Pro 3.0 for all of the other ideas you can look forward to in 3.0.

Also, be sure to check out the What's New documentation.

[Anonymous User]

@KoryKramer I'm using 3.1.1. So...I'm going against hundreds of people here. But I always need a new feature class after I do the spatial join. So now I have to right click to Data - Export Features. Then I have to remember to go back and right click and Joins - Remove All Joins. I almost made several mistakes because I didn't remember I already had a join on certain feature classes. This is constant housekeeping in the application when it used to be a simple tool.

What is the best work around for me here? Any chance we can leave this functionality as a choice for the user in Settings somewhere in future releases?!

[KoryKramer]

If you always want a new, separate feature class, then you could run the Spatial Join tool.

The right-click option runs the Add Spatial Join tool which is the new tool, and creates the in-memory join. Coming in Pro 3.2 later this year a parameter will be added asking whether you want to permanently join those fields to the target. 

Maybe that will work well for you? If not, run the Spatial Join tool to create an entirely new feature class.

[KoryKramer]

Don't submit a separate idea. Search first!

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/select-by-path/idi-p/954622

[drWood]

@Kory1313 I still have a record for the actual spatial join that gets created after completing an Add Spatial Join. When trying to have automated tasks run, the next run creates another output file with _1, _2, etc as the cycles are continued. This then throws off the rest of the references being used in my workflow. Is there a way around this outside of explicitly deleting the item at the end of a workflow?

[KoryKramer]

@drWood There is no control over this intermediate output location and the only work around would be explicitly deleting the feature class after removing the join. You might be interested in the “Permanently join fields” option if you just want to bring in fields from a bunch of different datasets in an iterative workflow. 

Our initial development was using a memory implementation for Add Spatial Join, but because memory classes are cleared per session and there is no persistence story cross-session, it was resulting in corrupted joins if you would run Add Spatial Join, close the app, and reopen. So unfortunately until memory persistence is supported, we have the intermediate data in the project geodatabase.

Hope this helps.

[jakek]

@KoryKramer   This tool is a miracle for us and working well as expected!  I use it almost daily, but I always do the calculations or data verification, then remove the join immediately so not to cause other problems.  Thank you so much for implementing it.