Can't edit by clicking in table cell after using Calculate Field

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08-07-2018 01:34 PM
MJChurchill
New Contributor III

I have a fairly large table that needs various edits. I am using ArcGIS Pro 2.1.2 and the data is in a File Geodatabase. The table is a standalone table, not a spatial layer.

In some cases, the same action needs to be done on multiple rows, in which case, using Calculate Field is obviously the best option. However, there are many rows where individual typos or text formatting needs to be fixed. In those cases it makes more sense to just click on the individual cells to make the corrections rather than using Calculate Field over and over to fix a single row each time. (This is unfortunately far more frustrating than in ArcMap because of the way ArcGIS Pro insists on resizing columns and losing your place in the table, but setting that aside...)

The issue is that if after I use Calculate Field, I am no longer able to edit in individual cells (double clicking on the cell has no effect). The only way I have been able to restore the functionality is to close ArcGIS Pro and reopen the project. This is extremely frustrating and time consuming.

I also notice that after I use Calculate Field, the 'Save' button in the 'Edit' tab is not activated so I can't save the edits but if Pro crashes, the edits are still lost.

The problem occurs even though I have only made edits to the one table and have it set as the only editable layer. Closing the 'Calculate Field' Tool also does not help.

Is there something I'm missing here? Is there a way to force Pro to save the edits and 'unlock' the cell editing ability without having to close and reopen the application?

Thanks for any suggestions!

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MichaelVolz
Esteemed Contributor

MJ:

I was able to repro your first issue in 2.1.0, but not in 2.2.1.  As such I guess this was a bug that development has fixed since 2.1.0, so you might want to upgrade your Pro software to the latest version.

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ThomasColson
MVP Frequent Contributor

What version of Pro, and what format is the data in (SDE, FGDB, what version), and what is the field type (text, float)? I cannot repro your first issue in any environment, a screen recording of your workflow might help. 

On that column resizing thing, totally sympathetic. For folks that spend a lot of time in the Attribute Table, this is one of the most frustrating Pro bugs

Kory Kramer‌, despite deliberately doing lots of things wrong, I am able to repro the "calc field save disabled" error the OP is experiencing in 2.2., FGDB, all field types. However, on a simulated "crash", upon recovery of the project, the calculated values persist, so I'm wondering if field calculator "edits" are not really edits, and are committed instantly, which raises another problem: there is no way to back out of a mis-calculated field operation. 

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MJChurchill
New Contributor III

Hi Thomas, Thank you for your reply.

I am using Pro version 2.1.2 and the data is in a file geodatabase.

The field type does not seem to matter. The database contains fields that are text and numeric and the behavior is the same for all.

Sorry, definitely should have provided the above info in the question and I have updated my question to include.

I should also mention that it is a stand alone table in the FGDB that I am trying to edit, not a spatial layer.

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KoryKramer
Esri Community Moderator

What isn't mentioned anywhere here is whether the Start Editing option is being used or not.

I agree with Tom that I can't reproduce the first issue.  If that is consistent, further troubleshooting with technical support would be an appropriate avenue.

As for after I use Calculate Field, the 'Save' button in the 'Edit' tab is not activated:

If I calculate a field without enabling Start Editing, this is what I see:

The Save and Discard buttons are disabled because the calculation was not done in an "edit session."

If I run a calculation with Start Editing enabled, when the calculation completes, here is what I see:

Save and Discard become active and I also see the GP pane update with a banner telling me that I have pending edits.

So whether Start Editing is enabled or not is crucial to this conversation.  Thomas Colson‌ you said you simulated a crash (like what?  just Pro down without saving anything?) and the Calculate Field edits persisted.  Did that occur even if you Start Editing, Calculate Field, do not save edits, close Pro and choose NO to not save edits, then open the feature class again?

I don't see that edit persist:

MichaelVolz
Esteemed Contributor

MJ:

For your first issue: The issue is that if after I use Calculate Field, I am no longer able to edit in individual cells (double clicking on the cell has no effect). The only way I have been able to restore the functionality is to close ArcGIS Pro and reopen the project. This is extremely frustrating and time consuming.

Can you try adding the same feature class to a new aprx and see if double clicking on the cell after using the Calculate Field has no effect as other's are unable to replicate that issue?  I'm thinking maybe the aprx has become corrupt.  (Speaking of which is there an ESRI tool similar to MxdDoctor that can diagnose aprx files at this point in time?)

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ThomasColson
MVP Frequent Contributor

ahhhhh...another "this is different than Arc so that's why I didn't notice it" thingy. In Arc, when doing field calculate outside of an edit session, I just never paid attention to saving, or not saving, didn't there used to be a warning in Arc about out of "edit" edits?

I have a very unique way of forcing a Pro Crash: Pull the workstation power plug. Not only does this destroy your unsaved data, according to IT, it does something horrible to the motherboard if you do it 5 times per day, necessitating a new computer.....

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KoryKramer
Esri Community Moderator

HA!

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MJChurchill
New Contributor III

Hmmm.... I think I am going to skip trying to recreate the crash.... Especially with the new skookum computer my employer recently bought for me to use.

I only had the one crash with Pro so far. Maybe I'll never have another.... (do I hear laughter?)

ArcMap definitely had a warning that popped up: "You are about to do a calculate outside of an edit session....." It used to annoy me. I guess I should have appreciated it more.

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MJChurchill
New Contributor III

Hi Kory, your reply was extremely helpful!

The Start Editing option is definitely crucial to the problem. I was forgetting to check the box and that is definitely why the save edits button was disabled.

But, it also seems to affect whether you can subsequently edit directly in the table cells.

If I make sure Start Editing is checked before I run Calculate Field, the problem does not occur. However, if I run Calculate Field without checking that box, the fields become locked and I cannot reactivate them. I've tried calculating again with the button checked, but that doesn't help.

Once I have run Calculate Field with the box unchecked, the only way I have been able to get the click-in-cell functionality back is to close the program.

This definitely seems like a bug but the workaround is pretty easy - I just have to make sure I never forget to check the Start Editing box.

Thanks very much for your help!

M.J.

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MichaelVolz
Esteemed Contributor

MJ:

I was able to repro your first issue in 2.1.0, but not in 2.2.1.  As such I guess this was a bug that development has fixed since 2.1.0, so you might want to upgrade your Pro software to the latest version.