Attributes disappearing from attribute table

[NateOris]

Hello,

I am currently working on ArcGIS 10.1 SP1, every once in a while, when I am editing and click "save edits" the attributes for the last point that I had created disappears.  The point itself is still visible but to get the attribute table back to normal I have to close and reopen ArcMap.

I have noticed that after point creation, the FID will not be sequential.  The problem will occur the next time that I save my edits.

Hope to hear from you soon.  Thanks.

Nate

[RobertBorchert]

Nate,

Personal Geodatabase or SDE or Shapefiles.

Are you features Joined to another feature or a table?  If so that could be causing issues.  If in a Geodatabase, or SDE have you compressed it lately?

For the FID compressing your database may take care of that.  Especially in SDE.  When you create and or delete features it creates a delta table where the edit is saved.  You cannot see it but it is there.  and it will consider the FID as being used.  when you compress your system it should free that up.

Hello,

I am currently working on ArcGIS 10.1 SP1, every once in a while, when I am editing and click "save edits" the attributes for the last point that I had created disappears.  The point itself is still visible but to get the attribute table back to normal I have to close and reopen ArcMap.

I have noticed that after point creation, the FID will not be sequential.  The problem will occur the next time that I save my edits.

Hope to hear from you soon.  Thanks.

Nate

[NateOris]

This is just a Shapefile.  The file in question isn't joined to any other table.  It is very small as well (only 19 points at the moment).  The problem has been going on since the creation of this file and an alternate that I was using to see if the file was corrupt or just not working correctly.  There is no way for me to replicate the problem that I can see other than to just wait until it happens again. 

This and a few other files will sometimes leave the point placed, but when exiting out of the attributes and moving on to another point, will delete the populated fields on the selected points leaving a blank point.

Nate,

Personal Geodatabase or SDE or Shapefiles.

Are you features Joined to another feature or a table?  If so that could be causing issues.  If in a Geodatabase, or SDE have you compressed it lately?

For the FID compressing your database may take care of that.  Especially in SDE.  When you create and or delete features it creates a delta table where the edit is saved.  You cannot see it but it is there.  and it will consider the FID as being used.  when you compress your system it should free that up.

[Anonymous User]

Do you have a definition query set up? Or do you have symbology set up to not show NULL values?

[MatthewPayne]

Hi Nate,

There are a slew of tests you can execute on the data to see if we can narrow down what is causing the issue.  However, as you mentioned, you cannot repro the issue on spot and have to wait until it happens again, which influences testing.  The next time it happens, try to make note of any particular editing tools/add-ins you were using for feature creation or manipulation during that particular edit session.  If it happens, try to go right back in to an edit session and repro those steps to see if the issue occurs again. 

You said closing and reopening ArcMap will get the attribute table back to normal.  Does this repopulate the fields AND fix the ordering of the FID field?

Another thought, is this shapefile always being edited on in the same MXD each time?  If so, you may try moving it to a new MXD in case the issue lies there.

Matt

[NateOris]

Matt,

I have noticed that it happens every once in a while after I sort the data ascending or descending by a certain field.  It doesn't happen every time but seemed to happen a few times this morning after this was done, so again that leaves me in the same spot with reproducing the error.  The only creation/manipulation tool I was using was the create point tool. 

Closing and reopening does in fact repopulate the point field attributes and fixes the FID field.  For example, when the error would occur I would notice that the FID field would skip anywhere from 2-5 numbers (the multiple numbers started this morning).  When I would move onto the next attribute the attribute would remain on the screen in the correct location but the table would not recognize that it had been created. 

I tried moving it to another .mxd, but it was still happening. 

I should also note that I actually first noticed it while editing within a .gdb, but the problem wasn't quite as bad and would only clear the fields but leave the record in the attribute table like I hadn't entered any information in.  This problem however wouldn't happen as frequently.  At the time it was only a minor inconvenience as it would happen around once every hundred or so.  The number has since gone up to happening around every 3rd or 4th point.

Nate

Edit: I forgot how to grammar 🙂

[JohnSobetzer]

Two possibilities based on my experience that might suggest the problem.

First, if you just close your attribute table and reopen it do the values appear as expected?  Tables in my 10.1 occasionally fail to update and since there is no refresh for them,  I have to close and reopen them.

Second, are you editing the values in a selected record in a table directly after spatially editing a feature in the view?  In 10.1 if I do this I usually lose the spatial edits.

[NateOris]

Johns,

The first option didn't ever work.  The only thing that would work was either re-populating the fields if it was the problem of deleting the fields, or restarting ArcMap if it was the case of the FID skipping and the record not showing up in the attribute table.

As for the second thing...yes, that is what I am doing.  For example, I would create a point and fill-in the fields with the appropriate attributes and hit enter.  If the FID was skipping a number it would disappear from the attribute table when I were to create the next new point.  The other problem would occur when creating the next point as well, this problem would just erase all of the previously filled in attributes from the fields but it would keep the point and but it would show as an empty record in the attribute table.

[TristanHolland]

Nathan.Oris
Were you ever able to determine what was causing the issue?  I am having the same issue with a couple attribute fields in feature classes within a File Geodatabase.  I enter an edit session, create my shapes and add the attribute data.  Once I save my edits certain fields will become blank.  Some of the fields stay.  It is also sporadic and only happens in certain feature classes.
Thanks,
Tristan

[TracyTerrall]

I am having the exact same issue while working with Arc 10.1. I am digitizing contour lines, and every time I save my edits, three or four of the lines disappear from the attribute table. They remain displayed on the map, and have the correct FID when I use the identify tool and click on them, but they do not appear in the attribute table. The FID is also altered for some of the lines that remain in the attribute table, and when I select them, they do not appear on the map. The table is not joined to any others, it is a simple shapefile of lines that I am creating.