Title: Adding Attributes to a Shape File

Title: Adding Attributes to a Shape File

Purpose: It is common that you may wish to add additional columns of attribute data to an existing Shape file’s database. These
are the steps necessary for such an activity. This proclib also indicates how to delete unwanted attributes or entities.

Steps:

1.  Make sure you have “write access” to the shape file, if necessary save a copy to your U Drive, thumb Drive, or elsewhere.

2.  Open ArcMap

3.  Using the Add Data + icon, add to your TOC the shape file into which you wish to put place new attributes.

4.  In the TOC using the right mouse button click on the shape file, then from menu that appears select open attribute table.

5.  In the new window Click the options icon.

6.  Then from the menu that appears Click ADD FIELD.

7.  Next in the window that appears

a.  Give this new field (new attribute) a Name

b.  Next under Type choose between short or long integer (short integers are about 4 places or less), float, double,

text,… if necessary set the precision (number of decimal places) or length (number of characters) if you are entering text.

c.  Click OK

8.  With the attribute table still open, turn to the Editor tool bar (if necessary you may have to add this to your toolbar).

Click on Editor then Start Editing

a.  In the Create Features window and make sure the shape file you are editing is active and choose the correct
entity type (in the illustration above the entity is a polygon). Click it if necessary.

b.  From the Editor tool bar choose the Black Arrowhead “Edit Tool”, then move your cursor to the row where
you wish to add data to the new field, click and start typing. Continue row by row until everything is entered.

c.  From the Editor tool bar, Stop Editing and

d.  Save your Edits.

9.  You may now close the Attribute Table and experiment with displaying your results in the Data View window.

10.  If you wish to delete a field of data from your attribute table, you must first STOP EDITING, then Right Click on the field to be deleted and select Delete FIELD from the menu that appears.

11.  I you wish to remove entities (a row of data) from your attribute table, you must first START EDITING, then in the attribute table Left click on the row to be removed (far left gray box selects entire line) then Right Click and from the menu that appears click on DELETE SELECTED.

Originator: P. Buckley
Date: 6/24/10 updated 5/10/2011 updated 5/13/2016
Email:

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