Description:  A tool that allows productive attribute editing  and transferring attributes between features. It combines the functionality of the two standard ArcMap tools:

• Edit Attributes
• Transfer Attributes (Spatial Adjustment Toolbar)

but has significantly better productivity and functionality. Furthermore, it allows editing the attributes of  simple (no topology or networks) SDE or personal Geodatabase feature classes with  subtypes  with an ArcView license.

Purposes of the Tool

• Significantly increases the productivity of the attribute editing.
• Allows users with ArcView licenses to edit the attributes of
  • Simple SDE feature classes
  • Feature classes of SDE check-out databases
  • Personal Geodatabase feature classes with subtypes

Modes of use:

The tool can be used in two modes

1. Within an editing session - the standard ArcGIS licensing restrictions apply.
2. Out of an editing session (OES) - any ArcGIS license can be used to edit the attributes of simple feature classes (not participating in topology or geometric networks) even if the data is in SDE database, SDE check-out database or PGDB with subtypes. Note: UNDO is not available when editing out of an editing session.

Subtypes and Domains

The tool supports domains and subtypes editing in both modes. It verifies the inputs before pasting them into the attribute table. The data validation is better than the one of the standard ArcMap tools. For example with the standard Transfer Attributes tool values that are invalid for certain domains can be stored in fields that are using the domains. The Copy-Edit-Paste Attributes Tool honors all the restrictions imposed by:

• Subtypes 
• Domains
  • Coded Values
  • Range Domains

Editing the attributes of  SDE feature classes - Versions

The Copy-Edit-Paste Attributes Tool supports versions. It allows with any type of ArcGIS license editing the attributes of:

• Registered as versioned feature classes. The version to be edited can be selected from the tool's dialog.
• Not registered as versioned feature classes.

Locking the "Out of an editing session" (OES) mode

The OES mode allows editing attributes with an ArcView license datasets that a standardly editable only with the higher license options of ArcGIS. This feature  can be of great benefit for many organizations (Why an expensive ArcEditor or ArcInfo license should be used just for attribute editing!). It however must be used responsibly. This is the reason the tool allows disabling of the OES mode.

The Admin tab on the tool's dialog allows disabling of the OES mode. Once a password is set only the user (Administrator) that has the password  can enable/disable the OES mode. If the OES mode is enabled, the Administrator can set what feature classes will be editable in OES mode

• SDE feature classes - enables the editing of the attributes of SDE feature classes (excluding feature classes participating in Topology or Geometric networks)
• Other feature classes - enables the editing of attributes of  SDE check-out databases, other personal GDB feature classes and shapefiles

The process of editing attributes:

• Preparation

1. Clicking on the tool will introduce the Copy-Edit-Paste Attribute dialog.
2. On the Layers tab select the Source and Target layer.

   If  the source and the target layer are the same the attributes the attributes between the features of the same layer will be transferred. This can be used for simple editing of the attributes of a feature class

   If the Source or Target layers are SDE layers and are registered as versioned, a combo box for setting the version to be used will be available. Selecting a version will change the source of the layer to the selected version.

   Note: If there are two or more layers with the same name in the TOC, only the first one will be used.

   

3. On the Attributes tab of the dialog

   The user can map the source and target fields by selecting the fields from the target layer that correspond to each field of the source layer. 

   Note: The fields that have the same names in the Source and Target layer will be automatically matched. 

   The fields that will be used can be set by checking/un-checking the  check boxes against the field names

   Only the fields from the same type of the Target layer will be available for matching with each field from the Source layer

   

• Copy-Edit-Paste : Once the above three steps are complete the process can be as easy as :

1. Copy: Right click on a feature from the Source layer to copy its attributes. 

Note:

One and only one feature from the Source layer  should be selected with the right mouse button.

 

2. Edit: Edit the attributes in the dialog (if needed)

The values of the subtype and coded value domain fields can be set only by selecting allowed values from a combo box .

Only the values in the fields for which the "Use" check box is selected will be pasted to the target features.

3. Paste: The values in the dialog can be pasted to many features by:

• Left Clicking on a feature from the Target layer
• Selecting multiple features (standard selection methods) and clicking the "Paste To Selected" button

Notes:

• If a field is nullable the value can be set to Null by typing <Null>, <null> or <NULL> 
• All the values typed in are are verified. An error message will be issued if the value entered for certain field is invalid.
• All values copied from a feature source layer are verified when pasting. If there are invalid values they are ignored. The attributes of the target feature are updated only with the valid entries