Append Tool

[DavidGray1]

Hi Community; In a previous post I inquired and ended up with a solution to the issue of copying rows in feature class layers to another feature class layer. The Append tool worked well because the two respective feature layers are constructed the same in terms of field definition. And it worked well within the same Project when the two respective feature layers were on different maps within that Project.

Now it won't work. I wrote down the steps as a "workflow" including setting up the Field Map with the input and target fields being exactly the same in each. Following the same "workflow" not will not work. A new error message appears.

As can be seen in the screen capture, the specified error is saying the target feature layer does not exist or is not supported. The attribute table for this feature layer can be seen as open behind the error message. Obviously the target feature layer Dataset exists. Nothing has changed with the various maps and their contained layers within this Project from when this procedure used to work. And work well.  The attribute table for the source layer is on a different screen and has one row selected and is reflected in the "Use the selected records: 1" line in the input datasets part of the Append menu. What has changed?  And the target Dataset is not supported by what?

It seems I have tried every possible permutation of choices available in tool menu and nothing works. Any ideas?   Thanks;  Dave

[ModyBuchbinder]

I would try to replace the spaces with underscore in the names of both the target and source.

Have fun

[RichardHowe · Accepted solution]

When one of your inputs is a layer in the map (a temporary construct), rather than explicitly pointing at the underlying feature class then you need to be very careful about where you drag it from. If it doesn't appear in the current map frame in the format the tool is expecting then you often get fails.

I note from the error message it is failing to find a layer called:

"Winnemucca Features\Major Dirt Roads Winnemucca"

This is where group layers can get tricky. That path is looking for a group layer called "Winnemucca Features" with a child layer called "Major Dirt Roads Winnemucca" as denoted by the slash (a good reason also never to include slashes in layer names - it confuses the tools). I can't see your table of contents on the screenshot, but is it possible that the layer used to be in a group and you moved it or changed the name of the group layer after dragging it into the tool or even that the parent group layer is turned off?

One workaround would be to navigate to and find the underlying feature class that is your target using the yellow folder icon next to the "Target dataset" input on the tool. That way the path will be explicit and you;re not relying on the names of layers in the map.

[DavidGray1]

Hi Richard; Your latter suggestion appears to be working. But with nuances. For the input dataset I did just that - navigated to the gdb via the folder icon and chose the desired feature layer. That gets it inserted into the Append menu. But now it doesn't display how many rows are selected. But you do have to have a selection. I started with just one row - it worked! - and then tried it on several rows simultaneously and it worked. Progress! A thing to note is that this inserts the chosen input feature layer dataset with the underscores in place of spaces as Mody suggested.

But then I found you have to have the map containing the intended target feature layer as the current map or else you get the same old error message about it not existing or not supported. One has to be in the input map to make the selection and then one must navigate over to the target map to have the target feature layer be recognized in the Append menu to receive a successful append. And it works - even without underscores. Nuances.

So, within these parameters, I think this is a solution. But what I still do not understand is why this used to work simply before and then just quit working. I did not change anything or move layers in and out of group layers. Before that did not pose an issue causing an error message. It's one of those ArcGIS quirks I run into everyone once in awhile. A proven and successful "workflow" just quits working the same with no underlying change or difference in approach being evident.

Thanks!  Dave