Exporting a joined layer results in empty dataset, need help.

[DavidMedeiros]

I have two seemingly related problems I need some help with:

1) I have a feature class of points that I joined to a table of data saved as an .xls file. The join works perfectly, however when I make the join permanent by exporting the newly joined layer the new layer has no features, zero entries in the table where it should have 143. I tried several methods of extracting the dynamically joined layer to a new permanent feature class, in the end the only thing that worked was using the copy features tool.

2) Using that now permanent copied points layer, I made a new join to a layer of polygons keeping only matching records. The new table has 7 entries out of 143 possible. Using the normal data>export... method to make the join permanent I get a new feature class but this time instead of 7 features (or none like above) I get 143 features.

Does this sounds familiar to anyone? Any idea why this is happening?

Dave

[curtvprice]

As far as I can see, no special characters, no numbers first, no spaces etc.

One more potential problem that I should add to the list are any SQL keywords for field names: "IN","OVER","COUNT" etc.

[HenriRiihimäki]

Using validate join helps.

I got an error from a field with invalid character: ' '

Solution:

I went to excel and replaced space ' ' by nothing

-> save .xls
-> restart arcmap (yes. no idea why one would have to do this, but otherwise excel edits don't update, even if you remove .xls -fiele and add it again)

-> add updated excel after restart
-> perform join
-> export data

[HenriRiihimäki]

Using validate join helps.

I got an error from a field with invalid character: ' '

Solution:

I went to excel and replaced space ' ' by nothing

-> save .xls
-> restart arcmap (yes. no idea why one would have to do this, but otherwise excel edits don't update, even if you remove .xls -fiele and add it again)

-> add updated excel after restart
-> perform join
-> export data

[curtvprice]

no idea why one would have to do this, but otherwise excel edits don't update, even if you remove .xls -fiele and add it again)

The restart is necessary because ArcMap caches the data after the first read and does not go back to the original table during that ArcMap session. This is done for performance reasons. Otherwise every time you opened a large linked table, the wait would be pretty unacceptable.

Sometimes you can get around this by creating a new arcmap document and then re-opening your old one. This is usually a lot faster than restarting ArcMap).

[crystalmcdermott]

I just had the exact same problem with exporting a joined table and getting an empty feature class.  I used the copy features tool instead and it worked.  Go figure.

[KyleMonster]

I find it helpful, sometimes, to export the xls(x) to csc and then open in notepad to edit. Then join the csv, not the excel file.

[HossameldinElalkamy]

I had the same problem. Copy Feature solved it in the best way because I can not edit the joined layers.

[FaisalBasudan1]

I had the same issue. It's been solved by saving the table that you want to join with the Feature Class in CSV (Comma delimited) format, and then redo the Join and Export the data.