Exercise 6: Make nonversioned edits

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

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: ArcGIS Tutorial Data for Desktop Goal: Log in as a user with read/write permissions on specific datasets and edit nonversioned data.

To see how users who only have permissions to access specific datasets can use the data, you will log in as editor2, add nonversioned data to the map, then edit it.

Logging in as editor2

Steps:

1. Log in to the computer as editor2.

   How you do this depends on your operating system. On most Windows operating systems, you can use switch users. On Windows XP, log out, then log in again as editor2.

2. Start ArcMap, open the Catalog window, then expand the Database Servers folder in the Catalog tree.
3. You must add the database server to the Catalog tree, because editor2 has not added it to the Catalog yet.

Making edits to nonversioned datasets

You will edit the schools and streets feature classes. Since you will only be making two small changes, which can be completed in a short amount of time, you can use nonversioned editing.

When you make nonversioned edits, the dataset is locked for the duration of your edit session, and the changes you make are committed directly to the database as soon as they are saved.

Adding data to the map

Add the data to be edited and reference data to the map.

Add the park_areas and streets feature classes from the Osokopf geodatabase. The park_areas feature class will be used as reference data; you will edit the streets feature class.

Steps:

1. Expand the Osokopf geodatabase in the Catalog window.
2. Expand the parks feature dataset in the Catalog window.
3. Click the park_areas feature class and drag it into the ArcMap table of contents.

Add the schools feature class from the buildings08 geodatabase to the map.

Steps:

1. Expand the buildings08 geodatabase in the Catalog tree.
2. Click the schools feature class and drag it into the ArcMap table of contents.

Setting the edit session for nonversioned editing

By default, edit sessions in ArcMap are versioned edit sessions. You must change the editing properties of the ArcMap session to be allowed to make nonversioned edits.

Steps:

1. If the Editor toolbar is not already open, add it by clicking Customize on the main menu, pointing to Toolbars, then clicking Editor.
2. Click Editor on the Editor toolbar and click Options on the drop-down list.

   This opens the Editing Options dialog box.

3. Click the Versioning tab.
4. Uncheck Edit a version of the database with the ability to undo and redo and click OK.

   This sets the edit type for this session to allow you to edit nonversioned datasets.

Making and saving the edits

A new school is to be built in Olafville at the northeast corner of Wspolnoty and Sunray. This is across the street from Wspolnoty Park. The northern portion of Sunray St. is also being renamed to match the new school name.

First, you will make sure you can select features in the park_areas and streets feature classes, then find Wspolnoty Park and Sunray St.

Steps:

1. Click the List By Selection button in the table of contents.
2. Make sure park_areas and streets are listed under the Selectable heading. If they are not, click the Click to toggle selectable icon next to each layer to make them selectable.
3. Click the List By Source button to show the layers and which geodatabase they are in.
Open the Select By Attributes dialog box to find the area where you will be making your edits.
4. Click Selection on the main menu and click Select By Attributes.
5. Choose park_areas from the Layer drop-down menu.
6. Double-click park_name to add it to the WHERE clause of the SELECT statement.
7. Click the equals sign (=) to add it to the SELECT statement.
8. Click Get Unique Values to get a list of names.
9. Double-click Wspolnoty Park in the values list to add it to the SELECT statement.
   Tip:

   You might need to scroll down the unique values list to find Wspolnoty Park.

10. Click Apply to make the selection.

    Wspolnoty Park is now highlighted on the map.

Now you will select Sunray St.
11. Choose streets from the Layer drop-down menu.
12. Double-click st_name to add it to the WHERE clause of the SELECT statement.
13. Click the equals sign (=) to add it to the SELECT statement.
14. Click Get Unique Values to get a list of names.
15. Scroll down to Sunray in the values list and double-click it to add it to the SELECT statement.
16. Click OK to make the selection and close the Select By Attributes dialog box.

    Sunray St. is now highlighted on the map.

17. To zoom in to the area where you will be working, right-click the park_areas layer in the table of contents, point to Selection, then click Zoom To Selected Features.

    This zooms all the way in to the park.

18. Click the Fixed Zoom Out button on the ArcMap Tools toolbar until you can see the area to the east of the park, on the other side of Sunray St.

    In the following example, the map is zoomed out to show the block to the east of Wspolnoty Park.

    

Next, start an edit session and add a feature to the schools feature class.

Steps:

1. Click Editor on the Editor toolbar and click Start editing to begin an edit session.

   The Start Editing dialog box opens so you can choose the layer to edit.

2. Choose schools for the layer and click OK.

   The Create Features window opens.

   Tip:

   If the window does not open, click the Create Features button on the Editor toolbar to open it.

3. Click Schools in the Create Features window and click New Template.

   If the schools layer is not listed in the Create Features window, do the folllowing:

   1. Click the Organize Templates button .
   2. Click New Template to open the Create New Templates wizard.
   3. Click the schools layer and click Finish to create a template.
   4. Click Close to close the Organize Feature Templates dialog box.
4. Click Polygon in the Construction Tools window.
5. Draw a polygon in the area across the street from Wspolnoty Park.

   When editing real-world data, you would be more precise when adding features to your GIS. For the purposes of this tutorial, however, just draw a polygon that fits within the four cross streets to represent the new school building.

6. Double-click to complete the shape.
7. Click the Attributes button on the Editor toolbar.

   The attributes for the new school open.

8. Type Roy Rogers in the sch_name row.
9. Click the field next to School type and choose Elementary (K-5) from the drop-down list.
10. Click Editor on the Editor toolbar and click Stop Editing.
11. When prompted, click Yes to save your edits.

Now, change the name of the section of Sunray St. between the new school and the park.

Steps:

1. Click Editor on the Editor toolbar and click Start editing to begin an edit session.

   The Start Editing dialog box opens so you can choose the data source to edit.

2. Choose streets for the layer and click OK.

   Because editor2 does not have permission to edit the park_areas feature class, a warning message appears. Click Continue to proceed with editing.

3. Click the Select Features By Rectangle button on the Tools toolbar.
4. Click the street between Wspolnoty Park and Roy Rogers school.

   The Sunray feature appears in the Attributes window.

5. Double-click Sunray in the st_name row of the Attributes window and type Roy Rogers.
6. Double-click St in the st_type row, type Rd, then press ENTER.
Notice that the Edited By and Date Edited fields are now populated.
7. Click Editor on the Editor toolbar and click Save Edits.
8. Click Editor on the Editor toolbar again and click Stop Editing.

Now that you have finished edting, you can close ArcMap. You can save the map document if you want to, but it is not required.

You logged in as a user with read/write privileges on two feature classes and edited the feature classes in a nonversioned edit session.