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I'm working on a landcover project with ArcMap 10.1 right now and use the ModelBuilder a lot.

So far I extracted a table from a certain layer using the Summary Statistics tool. However, one field of the mentioned table does only contain a code that isn't of much use to me. I do have a lyr file containing the right legend, but I cannot simply join the lyr file with my extracted table.

Is there some way to connect these sources of information? I do need to write some documentation on what tools I used during the project (using the ModelBuilder) and therefore don't want to resort to just write the correct code down manually within my extracted table.

Any help is highly appreciated!

Best Regards, T.

T. K.
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1 Answers1

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I think you may be a little confused about what a layer file does. http://support.esri.com/fr/knowledgebase/techarticles/detail/40057

The layer does not hold data but points to data. So basically find where the layer file points. select the attributes you want from this shapefile or geodatabase FC then do the join.

It can all be done in model builder.

  • This is the stackexchange thread http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/54111/how-do-you-explain-what-a-lyr-file-is –  Aug 06 '13 at 18:06
  • Thanks for the link, I really couldn't tell the difference between those two file types.

    However, the thing is that the shapefile - even when the lyr is added as symbology - still only holds the code in its attribute table and not the necessary text.

     – T. K. Aug 06 '13 at 18:18
  • Correct, it will not, the text is held in the symbology tab which would be part of the layer file not the shapefile FC –  Aug 06 '13 at 18:26
  • Okay, I'm still not really sure how to proceed. How do I find where the layer file points? Which is what I have to do before I can do the join with anything, right? – T. K. Aug 06 '13 at 18:33
  • right click on the layer file and find what it is pulling the information from (likely shapefile) then this is the points. Layer files do not have points, lines, or polygons, just symbology (legend), labels etc. –  Aug 06 '13 at 18:38
  • yep, but if you see the shapes on the map you won the file (maybe on a network share or WMS layer or something). What I am saying is that if you see the features in the map ArcGIS can access the layer. –  Aug 06 '13 at 18:56
  • Okay. Thank you very much for your kind patience and your help. But I just don't seem to get the concept of lyr files at all. I see the symbology but don't get to its source and therefore cannot do the necessary join. Think I have to ask someone who gets paid for that next time I'm on the campus. ,-) – T. K. Aug 06 '13 at 19:42
  • Think of layer files as a person standing behind you who says label the files this way, symbolize them this way, and so on but they do not give you the actual data they just give you instructions with what to do with the data. –  Aug 06 '13 at 19:43
  • That wasn't supposed to sound disrespectful btw. I just don't want to steal too much of your time. – T. K. Aug 06 '13 at 19:50
  • Ok, the concept of lyr gets clearer. But you wrote that I presumably have access to the actual file I need for the join. When I check the properties of the lyr I only see a path leading to some university network I am currently definitely not connected to. What can I get out of that? – T. K. Aug 06 '13 at 19:54
  • sounds like your out of look if you do not have access to the file on a network share. best. –  Aug 06 '13 at 20:13
  • Just for laughs: Just got the original table sent to me by my lecturer. All the fuzz yesterday was doomed from the beginning. ,-) Thanks though. – T. K. Aug 07 '13 at 12:52
  • glad you got it –  Aug 07 '13 at 17:09