ArcGIS should allow the ability to permanently reorder fields in a table

59742
209
04-20-2010 01:33 PM
Status: Under Consideration
Labels (1)
NewingtonConnecticut
New Contributor II

After creating a feature class, it would be convenient to go back after data input, and make changes to the field ordering (position).

209 Comments
JoelCusick1

This idea speaks to why we still are using pGDB, or developing in pGDB a schema.  I tell all of our park GISers's who need to develop a schema.... do it in a pGDB, and the last step, save to fGDB.  I know Xtools, but pGDB is more reliable and across the board safer... Soon, even access is going to be a limitation.   Trimble users with Pathfinder Office and the data dictionary tool can do this with a simple "float tool", a up or down arrow that moves a field up or down.  And it sticks!  I think this is a great idea.

GeneOlig

Would we be able to get a decennial update from ESRI on this idea? 🙂

DonnyVelazquez

lol yeah never!

RDHarles

Ha!  They're 2 updates behind!

JamalNUMAN

This appear not to be available in Pro 2.5, either. Hope to have it implemented in the upcoming releases

MarkVolz

Jamal,

It is implemented.  Turn editing off, right click on the layer and select Design-->Fields.  From there you should have full control over the field order, name, alias, etc.  In the example below I moved "ROADSEG_ID" down simply by dragging it.

RonnieRichards

Mark,

The field order action you are performing in this example is only for the map document in ArcGIS Pro just like reordering fields in an ArcGIS 10.x. map. If you inspect the fields in catalog, they are still in the original order. The intention of this idea is permanently reorder fields in the source feature class. 

JamalNUMAN

Correct. What is meant here is to be able to re-order fields at the level of file geodatabase feature class but not while working in aprx or mxd. This is not implemented yet

 

RayChilcote

First, reordering fields is possible using FeatureClassToFeatureClass.  Granted, this is not in place reordering.  But reordering is possible.  [create reordered copy via FC2FC, delete the original, rename or copy the reordered dataset, apply permissions and indexes as appropriate).  To boot, it's not very difficult.

Second, X-Ray can reorder fields.

Last, in old school apps run on databases, it was up to the app to create the field order.  This was because more than one field order could be required for any given table (feature class).  I don't see where this has changed.  ArcMap, ArcPro, and ArcServer all allow reordering of fields.  Yes, just in the mxd (not in the originating database).  But it's on the app developer to create the field order desired/required.  For that matter, they can (proactively) also turn off the visibility of fields not needed (in the app).  That doesn't seem to be happening anymore.  That isn't a database problem.

Lazily grabbing all fields and throwing them in an app with the default order is like doing a SELECT * instead of selecting each field.  Simply a bad technique.  Same goes for dropping a feature class into any app.  Expect the order to not be the way you want and move them in the app.

JosephRigley

Users (>30,000 upvotes, presumably most of these paying license/support maintenance) have been requesting the ability to re-order fields in place for a decade now. There is no excuse nor HTFU commentary that does more than whitewash this embarrassment.