Workflow: Importing and publishing x,y data

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: Use your own data

You can use the Create Feature Class From XY Table dialog box to import x,y coordinate data in a table to a database. You can then map that data in ArcMap and publish the data as a feature service to a spatial data server.

Prepare the data

The table containing the data needs at least one field of x values and one of y values. These fields must be numeric data types. For example, if you are using a spreadsheet containing x and y values, be sure the fields are defined as Number, not General or Text.

Additionally, if your x,y coordinates are stored in degrees, minutes, and seconds, you must convert them to decimal degree values stored in a numeric field. You can use the following formula to convert values manually:

Decimal Degrees = Degrees + ((Minutes / 60) + (Seconds / 3600))

For example, 75 59 32.483 W would be -75.9923564 in decimal degrees. DMS is often followed by the hemisphere labels of N, S, E, or W. When converting to decimal degrees, convert longitude values that are in the western hemisphere or latitude values that are in the southern hemisphere to negative decimal degree values.

Create a feature class from the data

Connect to the folder containing the table

You must be able to access both the source table and the destination database from the Catalog tree in ArcGIS for Desktop.

First, add a connection to the folder where your table resides on disk.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap and open the Catalog window.
2. Click the Connect To Folder button.
3. Navigate to the folder on disk that you want to add to the Catalog tree.
4. Click OK.

The folder appears under the Folder Connections node in the Catalog tree.

Connect to the database

Next, connect to your database. To do this, follow the steps in the topic appropriate to your DBMS:

Connecting to DB2 to publish to SDSConnecting to Oracle to publish to SDSConnecting to PostgreSQL to publish to SDSConnecting to SQL Server to publish to SDS

The user specified for the database connection is the one who will own the feature class you create in the next set of steps.

Import the data

Run the Create Feature Class From XY Table tool to import your data to a feature class in the database.

Steps:

1. Browse to your table in the folder connection you added.
2. Right-click the table, point to Create Feature Class, then click From XY Table.

   The Create Feature Class From XY Table dialog box opens. If the tool can detect the field names, they will populate automatically for the Input Fields. Be sure they are correct.

3. Click Coordinate System of Input Coordinates.

   The Spatial Reference Properties dialog box opens.

4. Choose a valid coordinate system for the data and click OK to close the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box.
5. Click the Browse button to specify your connection.

   The Saving Data dialog box opens.

Be sure the Save as type is SDE feature classes.
6. Navigate to the connection file (.sde) you want to use to connect to the database.

   The default location for connection files is C:\\<user>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop<release#>\ArcCatalog.

7. Type a name for the resultant feature class in the Name text box and click Save.
8. From the Configuration keyword drop-down list, choose the geometry storage type you want the feature class to use for its spatial column.
9. Unless you use ST_Geometry storage in Oracle or DB2 and want to specify spatial index grid sizes, you do not need to click Advanced Geometry Options.
10. Click OK to create the feature class.

A new feature class is created in the specified database in the schema of the user specified in the database connection file. You can see the new feature class under the database in the Catalog tree.

Map the data

Drag the new feature class onto the map. Symbolize the data using symbol symbols, set a scale range, set other properties for the map, and save the map document. See Authoring feature services for SDS for more information.

Publish a feature service

Publish a feature service from the map. See Publishing a feature service to a spatial data server from ArcMap.