Once I have a selection layer, how do I add a feature to the selection layer?

[ChristinaBoggs-Chavira]

I've got a large feature class and I created four selection layers based on some SQL queries (Create Layer From Selected Features). I've since symbolized this selections and created labels and exported them to annotations to make the placement pretty. I'm a few iterations of maps down the road and now I need to add one feature from the larger dataset into one of the selections. I also need to remove some features but I can choose not to display them and sort it later...so I'm not worried about deleting them for the moment though. How do I just add one more feature from the larger feature class into the selection layer?

I can do the export again and import the symbology and perhaps re-associate the annotation with the new layer but is there some quick/easy way to modify the selection that made the layer?

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous User]

Maybe you could export your selection from the large dataset, then do a spatial join with the new dataset.  

[JoshuaBixby]

Not to get hung up on semantics, but they can matter with technical matters like GIS.

About:

How do I just add one more feature from the larger feature class into the selection layer?

Does the new feature meet the original criteria of the selection layer or has the criteria changed?

[ChristinaBoggs-Chavira]

No problem elaborating...I updated some entries in a related table which then made it meet the original selection query but it didn't update in the selection layer.

Thanks!

[ChristinaBoggs-Chavira]

As a solution to the challenge, I ended up adding some additional fields to the dataset with a join and then added in the joined layers a few times with definition queries on that joined data and then I imported the symbology from the earlier selection layers.

I still ended up having to recreate the annotation layer though. I was able to copy/paste the label properties/expressions from the earlier selection layer to the new definition queries layer so that I didn't have to recreate all the variations of the label classes but I still had to export it to annotation again and move everything around.

I think this whole exercise is going to alter how I use selection layers though, I may not want to use them in the future...because I can't seem to get them to change once they've been created.

Thanks for any additional help

[JoshuaBixby]

Selections on layers are point-in-time.  If you want to refresh the selection, then you call/execute the selection again using the same criteria.  If you want a dynamic layer that refreshes when the data changes, then create a Query Layer, but those are only supported in enterprise geodatabases.