show categorical data from excel file with different colours in GIS map

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01-29-2016 08:08 AM
MariaLathouri
New Contributor

Hi all, I am trying to show categorical data with XY coordinates from an excel file (I have the ID column, 2-3 columns with the categorical data and the XY columns) in a GIS map. I have added my spreadsheet in gis, I right-clicked Display XY data, I could see all the points with one colour. But when I went to symbology-categories-specify the field with the categorical data-add all values, I changed the colour and size for each category (however there was a question mark in the count column) and Apply nothing happened. It was still one colour. I tried to open the attribute table but it was blank.

Could you please help me?

Thank you in advance.

Maria

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10 Replies
DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

can you post a small portion of your table ... perhaps there is an issue with your data types

also, you have posted your question in GeoNet help... which is about help on using GeoNet.  I might suggest that you move your post to Managing Data Managing Data

The community structure is here GeoNet Community Structure

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MariaLathouri
New Contributor
IDsuperXY
1E393035454082
2E399522446764
3G453296425579
4B404212490915
5B398227504509
6C404153499167
7B414776466439
8C392218487759
9C435909375484
10F424556422795
11C465178507362
12F430654490229
13F427010413243
14G443150473852
15C493368491519
16C409917421431
17C439272391335
18F472519447416
19C415129437601
20C442346488628
21C423986497876
22E395871451334
23C422522479895
24B399553426857
25B391737425618
26C431401408978
27C441620490031
28E441067476024
29C414431487014
30G476505467698
31D494230490996
32G470473448572
33G489244479662
34G470521430082
35E470657481383

Here is a sample of my data; I have as well formatted the 'super' column which has my categorical data as text.

Thank you.

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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

If you used Unique Values for your super column as shown here

Drawing a layer using categories—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

then there shouldn't be an issue, assuming you added all the categories to the legend .  then keep pressing Ok, apply, Ok to see the results...don't work about the count field just yet.

I would also recommend fine-tuning the colours AFTER you have the correct symbology applied first...not during the process...no point in wasting time if the base classification isn't going to work in the first place.

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MariaLathouri
New Contributor

actually I have been trying this before and now but still doesn't work. I am still getting one colour of the <all other value>

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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

<all other values>.... is the values that aren't in the classification scheme.  If you have done it correctly, you should have a colour beside your super letters... A, B...E since that is the classified data.  Check the link I sent and/or look onscreen.  PS  nothing is going to change until you OK your way out to the end and make the symbology apply to the map

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MariaLathouri
New Contributor

but I have for each super letter a different colour being shown in the layers column on the left hand side of the GIS map; that is why I cannot understand why it is not working.

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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

Ok... you are losing me..I can't see what you aren't seeing  so if you have done the symbology correct you should have a legend in the table of contents representing the various classes...if you don't it is scrreen grab time to show what is going on

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MariaLathouri
New Contributor

I made a screenshot of the table of contents for you to see that I am actually doing the symbology. But still don't get the colours in the map.

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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

so they are points and you appear to be in data view, now when you go back to the dataframe, right-click on that layer  and select zoom to layer... the dots should appear  If they don't, insert a new dataframe and add just that file.  It would also be best to convert that event layer to a featureclass or shapefile and ensure it has a defined projection... this should be done way before symbology is handled

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