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Loading data in ArcMap

Loading data in ArcMap
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About loading data in ArcMap

Note: This topic was updated for 9.3.1.

The Object Loader wizard in ArcMap allows you to specify a number of source tables and feature classes, provided their schemas match. It also allows you to specify which fields in the input data are loaded into which fields of the target feature class or table.

In addition, the wizard lets you specify a query to limit the features loaded.

Some tips about the Object Loader

How to load data in ArcMap

Adding the Load Objects command to ArcMap

  1. Click View, point to Toolbars, and click Customize.

  2. Click the Commands tab.

  3. In the Categories list, click Data Converters.

  4. Drag and drop the Load Objects command from the Commands list onto the Editor toolbar.

    5. The command appears on the toolbar.

  5. Click Close.

Loading data with the Load Objects command

  1. Add your data to ArcMap, click Editor, then click Start Editing.

  2. Click the Target layer drop-down arrow and click the feature class or subtype into which you want to load data.

  3. Click Load Objects.

  4. Browse to the source feature class.

  5. Click Add to add it to the list of source data.

  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have specified all the source data.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Click the drop-down arrow in the Matching Source Field list and click the field from the source data you want to match to the target field.

    9. Leave the Matching Source Field as <None> if you don’t want data from a field in the source data to be loaded into the target data.

  9. Repeat step 8 until you have matched the fields you want loaded from your source data.

  10. Click Next.

  11. Click the first option and skip to step 16 if you want to load all the source data.

  12. Click the second option if you want to limit the features from the source data to load into the target using an attribute query.

  13. Click Query Builder to open the Query Data dialog box.

  14. Create a query to limit the features or rows from the source data to be loaded into the target.

  15. Click OK.

  16. Click Next.

  17. Click No if you don’t want your features to be snapped to existing features in your edit session.

    18. Click Yes if you want to use the current Editor snapping environment to snap the new features as they are loaded.

  18. Click No if you don’t want your new features to be validated after they are loaded.

    19. Click Yes if the feature class or subtype into which you are loading data has rules associated with it and you want any new invalid features to be selected after the loading process.

  19. Click Next.

  20. Review the options you have specified for loading your data. If you want to change something, go back through the wizard by clicking Back.

  21. Click Finish to load your data when satisfied with your options.

Tips

  • If you're loading into a versioned ArcSDE feature class or table with ArcMap, the data loads into the delta tables, not the base tables. After you’ve finished loading into any feature class or table registered as versioned without the option to move edits to the base table, run Compress on your database to push all the records from the delta tables to the base tables. Having your data in the base tables will result in better query speed than if you have large amounts of data in your delta tables.

  • The option to validate the new features applies only to the geodatabase validation rules and does not validate the topology.

See Also

  • About loading data into existing feature classes and tables
  • Work flow strategies for loading data
  • Loading data in ArcCatalog