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ArcGIS Pro Statistics on Selected Records

JoeBorgione

Using ArcGIS Pro (2.2 in my case) how do you get statistics of a given field for just the selected records? I have 4400 of 11,500 polygons selected. I would like to see the mean of just one field: right clicking on the field name and selecting Statistics gives the statistics and distribution of ALL records....

Even summary statistics dosen't honor the selection; all I want to do is look at the mean value while making selections. Seems pretty simple; gotta be missing something silly...

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Accepted answers

DanPatterson_Retired

Filter, Selection

All comments

KoryKramer

It looks like the bug referenced above is fixed in ArcGIS Pro 3.2 due out in a couple of weeks.

Also, I wanted to note that we have heard the complaints that calculating statistics generates a chart for the layer, and you may not always (or ever?) need that. Data Engineering has been available for a number of releases to work with statistics and not generate a chart, but the entry point was not obvious for those of us who are used to right-clicking on the field header.

Starting in ArcGIS Pro 3.2, try the new Explore Statistics option which will open the Data Engineering view for the field or fields selected and will display statistics for a selection or the entire field...

We're hoping this makes quick, ad-hoc statistic workflows easier!

Anonymous User

I share your sentiments exactly 🙂 Thank you for writing, in a very clear way, how I have felt for years. Hope you're doing well!

Michael_Kraus

This is now confirmed as a bug. BUG-000137059: Unable to get the correct statistics based on the second selection in ArcGIS Pro.

RTPL_AU

And you're using Make Layer from Selected Features to retain the selection and possibly saving it as part of the project? I've moved to making everything I do attribute based unless it is something I do once only as a sanity check. Bitten too many times. The questions coming 6mths later always seem to be centered on the data that was not appropriately attributed 🙂
Definition queries remove the need for duplicated data.

My workflow: Get question to see how many parcels required to make up 60ha. Add field and call it "sel4ha".Do visual selection and calculate field with y.
Copy layer in map. Add Def query to sel4ha = y.
Save project.

Client 6mths later - we can now use 75ha. Open project. Visually select more features up to 15ha. Calc their fields to y.
Layer using Def Query automatically shows all of the previous and new selection. Save Project. Wait 6mths.

Using the same feature class with definition queries also plays nicer with most geoprocessing tools - selections may or may not work reliably and a "Make Layer from Selected Features" layer is guaranteed to fail if the project is important.....

Michael_Kraus

Thanks - yes, but when you are trying to do a quick visual selection (not attribute based) and get quick summary statistics it would be great to get things working without having to create redundant copies of data by exporting selections to new feature classes.

RTPL_AU

@Michael_Kraus "Make Layer from Selected Features" leads to unexpected behaviour in many scenarios. I'd strongly suggest relying more on definition queries, even if it means adding fields and modifying schema to suit. I know - it looks like such a handy feature.

Michael_Kraus

There also seems to be a bug (I am using ArcGIS Pro 3.1) where if you create a layer using "Make Layer from Selected Features" the stats don't show for a further selection on this selection layer.

TierneyRosenstock

The ctrl +shift+D didn't work for me, but I was able to open the data engineering window from the data tab in the ribbon. This gets me the statistics I need, so thank you(!), but it doesn't answer why filer by selection isn't an option in my chart window.

Anonymous User

Once you have your selection, you can use ctrl + shift + D to open the data engineering window. On the left side of the pane click and drag the field that you are interested in into the middle and then click the Calculate button. (In my case, I'm interested in the SUM of the length fields). Make sure to click the calculate button every time you make a new selection.

TierneyRosenstock

I have a selection in the attribute fields, but Filter by selection isn't an option for me. Thoughts?

Also, is there a way to not create a distribution chart every time I want to run statistics?

StephenJackson1

With regard to the original discussion/post, if your issue involves trying to obtain a calculated (sum) value from an active selection of records... I did a side-by-side comparison of ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro 3.0, to learn the differences and mouse-clicks needed to accomplish the task in both. In both programs, with the attribute table open and an active group of records selected (to calculate a sum), ArcGIS Pro requires one extra step that ArcMap did not. In Pro 3.0, with records actively selected:

- (from the ribbon) select "Data" tab.

- (from the ribbon) select "Data Engineering".

- (in the pop-up window) select the "Add all Fields and Calculate" button OR select the "Calculate" tab, depending on how the window populates in your particular circumstance.

- (in the pop-up window) scroll to the value/field you wish to calculate, to view the results. I will typically look first at the "Count" column to make sure it's a correct reflection of the active selection of records I'm trying to calculate. If the count is correct, then I view the calculated result.

- If you're repetitively selecting groups of records to calculate a result, you may have to select the "Calculate" tab each time (to refresh the data in the Data Engineering feature). I'll mention again, this is why I check the "Count" column first, to ensure it's a correct reflection of the records I want to calculate.

For my use, I am typically calculating the lengths (miles) of various types of road surfaces within my county's various road districts. This was easy to do within ArcMap and very frustrating to do within ArcGIS Pro until I learned how to use the Data Engineering function. Now it's easy in both programs, though it does add one extra step in Pro (annoying). I hope this information is helpful.

PeteJordan

They have changed how this works yet again. Seems every update they move things around or change the way things behave and this is just another one that has changed. I made an ArcGIS Pro document for myself to guide me thought it all and I'm always having to revise it and rewrite things. It's kind of annoying...

FrancisHourigan1

Has anyone else noticed that in ArcGIS Pro 3.x this selection option is no longer there? It disappears as soon as I make a selection.

StephenJackson1

Very nice! SQL is my next language to learn...so I've not scratched the surface (yet) of what can be done with this program. Thank you for sharing your success with SQL queries, I like the fact that it's dynamic text.

Anonymous User

I found a way to add it to my layout by including SQL queries in my dynamic text box. The zones/routes change from year to year so this option is way more straight forward in my opinion - no need to manually copy & paste the values from the Data Engineering pane. This option works well for this example but I was working on a project the other day that has some layers that were created using the create layer from selected features option and unfortunately dynamic text wasn't behaving as expected in that case.

Anonymous User

Thanks. I think the problem was that I wasn't clicking the calculate button after each new selection.

Is there a way to query/filter the statistics without exporting it to a database table? I would like to display the total length for each plow zone. i.e. in my overview map layout can I insert a table that shows the length of each separate route?

StephenJackson1

When you've actively selected the route and you're in the Data Engineering section, make sure you select your Length field and then hit the sum button. Along the length field you can verify however many objects you had selected, and you should receive a resultant length based on the sum of the items selected. In Pro, you have to remember to hit that sum button each time, the program will not automatically calculate the sum (at least that I've found). I hope this helps you...?

Anonymous User

Is there a help page on this topic? I've used the create layer from selection function in pro to create a subset of my roads feature class (plow route 1) and would like to calculate the total length that the plows travel based on the number of lanes and the length field. I've only played with the data engineering button for about 5mins but the sum field does not seem to update with each new selection.

Alternatively, I would love to use dynamic text in my map layout to perform this calculation for me rather than having to do it manually every year.

StephenJackson1

Good morning! Just wanted to say "thank you!" for taking the time to post the Data Engineering solution to this post. I now use the Data Engineering selection as a quick way to calculate sums of any active selection I am working with. It does add a few extra mouse clicks (over the ArcMap selection statistics tool) but still quick and easy enough for everyday use. Thanks again for sharing the follow-up information, it was VERY helpful!

StephenJackson1

Thank you for this suggestion. I am confounded that something that worked so well, got so cluttered up.

PeteJordan

I swear I was able to caculate a selected sum by the Statitics in Pro in the past, but I have been banging my head for the past day trying to figure out how to do it simply. The Data Engineering works great and is exactly what I needed without having to put in definition queries or exporting to ArcMap to do such a simple task you'd expect to work as easily as it did in ArcMap...

MalleCarrasco-Harris1

I was active on this post several times a few years ago and I found a way to do this:

Select the layer in contents
Right click or select Data Ribbon tab
Select Data Engineering
Drop the field you'd like to calculate records on and select records.
Click Calculate.

RTPL_AU

Hi Kory,
Just to be clear, I'm not proposing that users not log issues in order to raise developer "awareness of a deficiency or an opportunity for improvement in a software product". We need to do that for real problems, bugs, requirements.
My concern is with the like for like aspects between Map & Pro where it is Esri's responsibility to do their homework and not drop that burden on paying customers. As I have said, every feature in Pro that matches Map needs to have similar or better performance; measured using overall task execution duration, number of clicks, mouse distance travelled, geoprocessing time, etc. That is Esri's job - just own it already 🙂

I am more than happy to accept a discount on my annual Esri fees in return for my time to log every idea, opportunity for quality improvement, bug, etc. that I come across in Pro. I suspect though, the chances of that happening are quite low.

Do you realise that we are talking about Pro as if it is a new product? It has been around for almost 6 years and your users are still complaining about very basic things - finding tools, application performance (not data or task), etc.

KoryKramer

Thank you for the feedback, Chris. The day that I wrote that comment, I had already communicated the problem with the appropriate development teams on our side. And an internal issue was created in the development system. Part of the motivation to have users submit either an idea or a bug/enhancement request is so that there is something to reference for communication. That object, whether it is a bug number or an idea url, makes it easier to communicate what work is being done through status updates.

I understand that this is one specific issue, and you're describing more generally that somebody shouldn't have to log anything at all in order to raise development teams' awareness of a deficiency or an opportunity for improvement in a software product. I'll share your feedback with ArcGIS Pro development teams and we'll continue to strive to do better.

Cheers from a very cold Southern California.

RTPL_AU

After going through a few searches looking for the same thing I found this post.

@KoryKramer Can I raise the idea that ESRI first create parity with existing and efficient workflows and only then ask paying customers what other ideas they have?

I think it is a little bit preposterous to ask @MalleCarrasco-Harris1 to submit an idea to return a feature that was working fine and for some reason got dropped or relegated into inefficiency in Pro. Hiding the available and non-configurable statistics in the Chart Properties window a click deep is a really strange UX & UI design decision. I would love to hear how that came about or see the story boarding used to design the user flow.

A really good idea would be to mandate that the Pro developers take any equivalent feature they are working on and run a comparative real world task with it and within ArcMap. If it is faster in Pro to access (number of mouse clicks and distance of travel between clicks), configure (fill out required boxes) and run the process then keep it. If it is not better in all three aspects don't release it.

Regards from a very hot Australia.

JoeBorgione

And you want it 'on-the-fly' rather than running Summary Statistics?

MalleCarrasco-Harris1

Unfortunately not, Joe. The solution by Trish Rice does give me the statistics for my selection, but you'll notice it also gives the statistics for the entire data set.

I am looking for an option to turn off the calculation of statistics for the entire data set, as it is large and I think slowing down the calculation of just the selection. Hence, it's slower than the feature in ArcMap and not going to make the cut for addressing our needs during presentations.

JoeBorgione

The solution from Trish Rice‌ doesn't suit your needs?

MalleCarrasco-Harris1

Thank you all for showing your helpful graphics. Is there a way to only calculate the statistics for the selected features?

This is important for us because we do ad-hoc stats on the fly to address questions during our virtual presentations. I'm the newest team member, and the only one using ArcGIS Pro consistently, so I've seen others do statistics of selected features very quickly with ArcMap. Currently, navigating to the attribute table > right clicking the field > getting statistics is already clunky enough for my team, but then it takes longer to calculate the statistics because it does so for the entire data set as well as my selection. I'd like the default to be only the selection, if possible.

Thank you

TrishRice1

Sharing for posterity. I had this same question except I wanted the sum of the selected records, not the mean, so the solution given above didn't help. Turns out all I needed to do was widen the Chart Properties pane. Statistics for the selection are to the right of the statistics for the dataset.

Showing that the statistics for a selection are to the right of the statistics for the whole dataset in the Chart Properties pane.

DanPatterson_Retired

I don't know whether to suggest making the selected records the default or not.

I am torn between having bogus stats when a few are selected or all the stats when you don't want them.

A flashing icon perhaps

JoeBorgione

Cool. A little hidden, but it's there:

DanPatterson_Retired

Filter, Selection

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