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Editing Mode Tools and ModelBuilder

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06-30-2014 11:39 AM
DaveGrolling
Deactivated User
When opening an editing session on a shapefile, there are tools within the Editing menu that are different than the tools in ArcToolbox. For instance, the MERGE function is different between the two instances in that the MERGE in the toolbox merges two or more attribute tables, and the MERGE in the editing mode drop down merges two or more records or features. I want to use this MERGE function from the Editing session in a model or script. Anyone have any ideas or workarounds?

What I am trying to do is automate an polygon aggregation process of:

1)copying a polygon;
2)pasting it back into the attribute table;
3)merging the copied polygon with the next unique record taking the row data from the most recent record using a date field;
4)repeat;

The DISSOLVE tool removes all of my attribute data, the MERGE function only works with two or more tables.

I tried to split out my table by attribute and then copy and merge two tables, but what happens is that it retains all data from both tables, when I'm only concerned with the data from the most recent polygon.

Any pointers would be appreciated!
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BondHarper
Frequent Contributor
Dissolve should keep your fields if you make sure you add them to the Statistics Field(s) list. Sounds like you would want to choose 'Last' for your fields of interest (unless you need to sum up areas). Try that and see if it gives you what you want.

Best of luck!
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DaveGrolling
Deactivated User
selecting the fields for statistics did the trick to retain the attribute data. Thanks!

Can anyone recommend how to copy the first row in a feature class and paste it back into the same set and then merge that copy with the next unique record and THEN iterate through the entire feature class? I've been working on this for some time now and I get close with a manual process but when you have hundreds of polygons to merge together based on date, it become a little cumbersome without an automated process. Sorry for my ignorance...
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