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Update Multifile Feature Connection Dataset Properties (GeoAnalytics Desktop Tools)

Summary

Updates the properties of a multifile feature connection (MFC) dataset. This tool modifies field, geometry, time, and file settings for a specified MFC dataset.

Usage

  • This tool requires a MFC. To create a MFC, use the New Multifile Feature Connection dialog or Create Multifile Feature Connection tool.

  • Use this tool to modify MFC dataset schema, geometry, or time for use in analysis or visualization in scenarios such as the following:

    • Your CSV dataset was registered with all string type fields and you want to set the fields as numeric for use in analysis.

    • Your MFC dataset has attribute values for two separate locations, such as taxi pick-up and taxi drop-off spots, and you want to change the geometry you use for analysis.

    • Your workflow requires that time is set on the input layer.

    • You want to share a MFC dataset with a colleague who is only interested in a subset of features, so you add a definition query expression and hide some unused fields.

  • You can modify the following properties:

    • Definition query—An expression used to limit the features used in analysis.

    • Fields—The field name, field type, and visibility.

    • Geometry—How geometry is represented. These are not editable for shapefiles.

    • Time—How time is represented.

    • File—The file properties used to read the dataset.

  • Use the New Multifile Feature Connection dialog box for a simplified experience to create, edit, and preview a multifile feature connection.

  • Specify the MFC dataset with the properties you want to modify using the Multifile Feature Connection Dataset parameter. You can browse to the dataset or specify it using a path such as c:\<path>\MyMFC.mfc\<dataset_name>, for example, c:\MyMFCFolder\MyMFC.mfc\earthquakes_dataset.

  • Define an expression to limit the features used in analyses using the Expression parameter. Adding a filter to a MFC dataset is similar to applying a definition query to a dataset in a map: specify a SQL expression to filter features of interest.

  • You can update the field type for delimited files. You cannot update the field type for other data sources (such as shapefile, ORC, or parquet files).

  • You can modify the geometry for delimited files, ORC, and parquet files. You cannot modify the geometry for a shapefile-sourced dataset.

  • The following table outlines how to specify time formats for the Start Time and End Time parameters when you edit a MFC dataset. The examples show how to represent the time January 2, 2016, at 9:45:02.05 p.m.

    Time formats in multifile feature connections

    Symbol

    Meaning

    Example

    yy

    The year, represented by two digits.

    16

    yyyy

    The year, represented by four digits.

    2016

    MM

    The month, represented numerically.

    01 or 1

    MMM

    The month, represented using three letters.

    Jan

    MMMM

    The month, represented using the complete spelling.

    January

    dd

    The day.

    02 or 2

    HH

    The hour when using a 24-hour day; values range from 0-23.

    21

    hh

    The hour when using a 12-hour day; values range from 1-12.

    9

    mm

    The minute; values range from 0-59.

    45

    ss

    The second; values range from 0-59.

    02

    SSS

    The millisecond; values range from 0-999.

    50

    a

    The AM/PM marker.

    PM

    epoch_millis

    The time in milliseconds from epoch.

    1509581781000

    epoch_seconds

    The time in seconds from epoch.

    1509747601

    Z

    The time zone offset expressed in hours.

    -0100 or -01:00

    ZZZ

    The time zone offset expressed using IDs.

    America/Los_Angeles

    ''

    Use single quotes to add text that doesn't represent a value outlined in this table.

    'T'

    The following table shows examples of different formats for the same date, January 2, 2016, at 9:45:02.05 PM:

    Time format examples

    Input date

    Date format

    01/02/2016 9:45:02PM

    MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ssa

    Jan02-16 21:45:02

    MMMdd-yy HH:mm:ss

    January 02 2016 9:45:02.050PM

    MMMM dd yyyy hh:mm:ss.SSSa

    01/02/2017T9:45:14:05-0000

    MM/dd/yyyy'T'HH:mm:ssZ

    You can specify the time zone using one of the following:

    • The full name of the time zone, for example, Pacific Standard Time

    • The time zone offset expressed in hours: -0100 or -01:00

    • The UTC or GMT abbreviation

  • You can modify the following properties of a delimited file:

    • Field Delimiter—The delimiter for each field. Common delimiters are comma (,) and semicolon (;).

    • Record Terminator—The terminator for each row of data. Common terminators are \n and \t.

    • Quote Character—The character used for quotes in the source dataset.

    • Has Header Row—A true or false value indicating whether the source dataset includes headers. If a header row is included in the dataset, the headers will be used for the field names.

    • Encoding—The encoding type used by the source dataset. The default is UTF-8.

  • The Update Multifile Feature Connection Dataset Properties tool updates the properties of an individual dataset. Use the following tools to modify a MFC:

  • You can optionally edit your MFC file manually. You should always modify the .mfc file manually for the following situations:

    • You have one or more fields used to represent the x-,y-, or z-location.

    • You want to update the source path.

    Learn more about multifile feature connection file formatting.

  • This geoprocessing tool is powered by Spark. See Multifile feature connections to learn more about multifile feature connections and how to use them.

Parameters

Label Explanation Data type

Multifile Feature Connection Dataset

The MFC dataset that will be updated. The options for editing will differ depending on the source data (shapefile, delimited file, ORC, or parquet file).

Table View

Expression

(Optional)

An expression used to limit the features that will be used in the analysis.

SQL Expression

Field Properties

(Optional)

Specifies the field names and properties that will be modified.

Value table columns:

  • Name—The field name.

  • Type—Specifies the field type.

    • Short—The field will be type short.

    • Long—The field will be type long.

    • Double—The field will be type double.

    • Float—The field will be type float.

    • String—The field will be type string.

    • Date—The field will be type date.

    • Blob—The field will be type BLOB.

    • Big Integer—The field will be type big integer.

  • Show—Specifies whether fields will be visible or hidden for use in geoprocessing tools. Fields will be visible by default.

Value Table

Geometry Type

(Optional)

Specifies the type of geometry that will be used to spatially represent the dataset. The geometry cannot be modified for shapefile-sourced datasets.

  • Point—The geometry type will be point.

  • Polyline—The geometry type will be polyline.

  • Polygon—The geometry type will be polygon.

  • None—No geometry type is specified.

String

Spatial Reference

(Optional)

The WKID value or WKT string that will be used for the spatial reference of the dataset. The default is WKID 4326 (WGS84). The spatial reference cannot be modified for shapefile-sourced data.

String

Geometry Format Type

(Optional)

Specifies how the geometry will be formatted. The geometry cannot be modified for shapefile-sourced data.

  • XYZ—Two or more fields will represent x, y, and optionally z.

  • WKT—The geometry will be represented by a single field in a well-known text field.

  • WKB—The geometry will be represented by a single field in a well-known binary field.

  • GeoJSON—The geometry will be represented by a single field in GeoJSON format.

  • EsriJSON—The geometry will be represented by a single field in EsriJSON format.

  • EsriShape—The geometry will be represented by a single field in EsriShape format.

String

Geometry Field

(Optional)

A single field used to represent the geometry. This field is used when the geometry format is WKT, WKB, GeoJSON, EsriJSON, or EsriShape.

String

X Field

(Optional)

The field used to represent the x-location. If more than one field represents the x-location, modify the .mfc file manually.

String

Y Field

(Optional)

The field used to represent the y-location. If more than one field represents the y-location, modify the .mfc file manually.

String

Z Field

(Optional)

The field used to represent the z-location. If more than one field represents the z-location, modify the .mfc file manually.

String

Time Type

(Optional)

Specifies the time type that will be used to temporally represent the dataset.

  • Interval—The time type will represent a duration of time with a start and end time.

  • Instant—The time type will represent an instant in time.

  • None—Time is not enabled.

String

Time Zone

(Optional)

The time zone of the dataset.

String

Start Time

(Optional)

The fields used to define the start time and the time formatting.

Value table columns:

  • Name—The field name.

    • Short—The field type will be short.

    • Long—The field type will be long.

    • Big Integer—The field type will be big integer.

    • Float—The field type will be float.

    • Double—The field type will be double.

    • Text—The field type will be text.

    • Date—The field type will be date.

  • Format—The field format.

Value Table

End Time

(Optional)

The fields used to define the end time and the time formatting.

Value table columns:

  • Name—The field name.

    • Short—The field type will be short.

    • Long—The field type will be long.

    • Big Integer—The field type will be big integer.

    • Float—The field type will be float.

    • Double—The field type will be double.

    • Text—The field type will be text.

    • Date—The field type will be date.

  • Format—The field format.

Value Table

File Extension

(Optional)

The file extension of the source dataset. The parameter value cannot be modified.

String

Field Delimiter

(Optional)

The field delimiter used in the source dataset.

String

Record Terminator

(Optional)

The record terminator used in the source dataset.

String

Quote Character

(Optional)

The quote character used in the source dataset.

String

Has Header Row

(Optional)

Specifies whether the source dataset includes a header row.

  • Checked—The source dataset includes a header row.

  • Unchecked—The source dataset does not include a header row.

Boolean

Encoding

(Optional)

The type of encoding used by the source dataset. UTF-8 is used by default.

String

Derived output

Label Explanation Data type

Updated MFC

The updated MFC file with edited properties applied to the specified dataset.

File

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

  • Basic: No
  • Standard: No
  • Advanced: Yes