Creating a composite relationship class

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

Note:

Although relationship classes can be both created and edited in ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced and ArcGIS for Desktop Standard, they are read-only in ArcGIS for Desktop Basic. The feature classes participating in a relationship class will also be read-only in ArcGIS for Desktop Basic.

You can use a wizard to create a composite relationship class. The example in this subtask shows how to create a relationship class between a feature class that stores transformer banks and one that stores transformer units.

The existence of a transformer unit in the database is dependent on the presence of a transformer bank. This relationship class is a composite relationship with the transformer bank as the origin feature class.

The relationship will be nonattributed; composite relationships are by definition one-to-many (1:M) relationships.

Creating a composite relationship involves many of the same steps used in the task for creating a simple relationship. The steps outlined here reflect the differences between the two tasks, including using different origin and destination classes.

Learn more about creating a simple relationship class

Learn more about creating an attributed relationship class

Steps:

1. In the Catalog tree, right-click the geodatabase or feature dataset in which you want to create the new relationship class and point to New > Relationship Class.
2. Type the name for the new relationship class.
3. Click the Origin table or feature class.
4. Click the Destination table or feature class.
5. Click Next.
6. Click Composite relationship.
7. Click Next.
8. Type the forward and backward path labels.
9. Click the message notification direction.
10. Click Next.
11. Click the second cardinality option. A composite relationship is, by definition, a one-to-many or one-to-one relationship.
12. Click Next.
13. Click No.

The relationship class does not require attributes in this example.

If the relationship class requires attributes, click Yes and skip to Creating an attributed relationship class.

14. Click Next.
15. Click the drop-down arrow to see a list of fields from the Origin table or feature class. Click the primary key for this feature class or table.
16. Click the drop-down arrow to see a list of fields from the Destination table or feature class. Only those fields that are the same type as selected in step 15 are displayed. Click the foreign key that refers to the primary key selected in step 15.
17. Click Next.
18. Review the options you specified for your new relationship class. If you want to change something, you can go back through the wizard by clicking Back.
19. Click Finish to create the new relationship class when satisfied with your options.

Tip:

When creating a one-to-many relationship, whether simple or composite, the one side must be the origin class. The many side must always be the destination class.