Deleting a field where subtype was removed

[ScottFortman1]

Hi there,

so we want to remove a subtype from a field and create a new field with a domain that has the same values we use in the subtyped field.  I used the remove subtype geoprocessing tool,it seemed to worked fine.  I create a new field and calculated the values from the old subtyped field over, all is well.  I am trying to delete the old field now and am unable to do it.  Does anybody know how to do it, if even possible?  Thanks for any advice!

[MarceloMarques]

@ScottFortman1 - If you are using an ArcSDE Enterprise Geodatabase then you can be locking yourself, try to close ArcGIS Pro / ArcCatalog, then connect again with the data owner user, do not click any other geodatabase connection file, and try again to make the schema change, you also need to ask all other users to disconnect and stop all ArcGIS Server Services that use the ArcSDE Enterprise Geodatabase that you are trying to make schema changes.

[ScottFortman1]

Thanks for replying Marcelo.  Yes I did try that.  Whenever I make schema change on our SDE Enterprise databases, we shut down all services, connect as database owner, check connections and locks, then make our changes.  After I removed the subtype from the field, I did this again.  I also tried running our nightly jobs, which compresses our databases.

[MarceloMarques]

@ScottFortman1 - ArcGIS Pro will not let you delete the *Subtype field, that is expected behavior.

You will need to create a new empty Featureclass with the new fields and domains that you want then you will reload the data using the old Featureclass.

[ScottFortman1]

Ok thanks, so to be clear, this is true even after you remove the subtype?

[MarceloMarques]

yes, you cannot delete the *Subtype field if the Featureclass was created with one from the beginning, this because the *Subtype field is how the data gets organized, hence the only way around this is to create a new Featureclass without the *Subtype field and reload the data.

[ScottFortman1]

Ok thanks.  Just to try it, I did try this in ArcCatalog (10.8.1) and was able to delete the field there. 

[MarceloMarques]

@ScottFortman1 - I am adding this comment so others can understand.

ArcCatalog 10.8.2 cannot delete the *Subtype field. But if we go to the "Subtypes" tab and set to <None> then under the "Fields" tab will be able to delete the Subtype field.

Workaround

[ScottFortman1]

Yes, that is exactly what I did.  It would be great if there was a way do that in Pro.  Thanks for clarifying the solution for others who view this.

[MarceloMarques · Accepted solution]

@ScottFortman1 - here is how to delete the Subtype field in ArcGIS Pro.
These steps should have worked for you in Pro as well.

ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2 > Data Design > Fields

"Delete" is disabled for the *Subtype field.

Workaround

ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2 > Data Design > Subtypes

Subtypes > Create/Manage 

Subtype Field: <Clear all subtypes...> 

Click OK

Click Save

Close the Subtypes tab

Open the Fields tab

select the Subtype field > right click > choose delete

Click Save

The Subtype field was removed.