Hope someone has had experience with this before. We've exported a feature class from ArcGIS SDE database, and saved it in a personal geodatabase. Then, we altered the structure within MSAccess, and reordered the content, created new fields, altered field structure before beginning some edit work in ArcGIS for Desktop from the personal database. While a few edits are simple, after several edits there is a tendency to receive a "Unable to save. Two few parameters. Expected 2" when we attempt a "Save Edits". Can anyone explain why this happens? Much appreciated.
Hi Ruben, do you have a field in your table that is defined as a memo field?
In that case, using Microsoft Access, either convert the memo field to a text field, or remove the memo field from the table.
All the fields are either in a text or long integer format, no "memos" at all (both in the SDE geodatabase to the resident personal database). The transition from SDE to personal was completed by XML Workspace file, thereby maintaining the existing domains and subtypes inherent in the database. We deleted a couple of the database fields, altered the field size of a couple and reordered the group.
During the process of editing one of these features in this new personal database, we found it necessary to expand the size of the field (based on the data that began to appear), and therefore, expanded the field size accordingly.
Ruben, you might consider using the ET Geo wizards Add-in for your field changes instead. It has tools to both redefine and reorder fields: ET GeoWizards UserGuide
Much appreciate the input. Some important things to consider for the future.
You may want to consider changing your workflow so as to not edit the data while in Access if you intend to continue using it as a spatial file. Note - if you want to edit it and then join it back to a spatial file, that is OK.
Here's ESRI's advice on this:
Similarly, you should only edit a personal geodatabase in ArcGIS. Although a personal geodatabase is stored as an Access .mdb, you should not open or modify the tables in a personal geodatabase inside Microsoft Access. This can corrupt the geodatabase and cause data loss.
The limitation of Microsoft Access as an application to edit personal geodatabases is that Access was not designed to use or understand the ESRI functionality behind the personal geodatabase format. For example:
This issue is reminiscent of issues people encounter with Shapefiles and Excel. Can you look at a shapefile dbf in Excel? Sure. Can you edit a shapefile's attributes while in Excel. Sure. Is it a good idea? No. Even though the software will let you do it, you are just asking for trouble. It will work for a while, then the file will get corrupted. It's best to not even go that route, tempting though it is.
Chris Donohue, GISP