ArcMap

Enable Attachments

Summary

Enables attachments on a geodatabase feature class or table. Creates the necessary attachment relationship class and attachment table that will internally store attachment files.

Usage

  • Attachments must first be enabled using this tool before they can be added using the Add Attachments tool.

  • If the geodatabase feature class or table already has attachments enabled, a warning message will be delivered and no processing will take place.

Syntax

EnableAttachments_management (in_dataset)
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_dataset

Geodatabase table or feature class for which attachments will be enabled. The input must be in a version 10 or later geodatabase.

Table View

Derived Output

NameExplanationData Type
out_dataset

Code sample

EnableAttachments example (Python window)

The following code snippet illustrates how to use the EnableAttachments tool in the Python window.

import arcpy
arcpy.EnableAttachments_management(r"C:\Data\City.gdb\Parcels")
EnableAttachments example (stand-alone Python script)

The following script illustrates how to use the EnableAttachments tool in a stand-alone script.

"""
Example: we have a folder of digital photographs of vacant homes; the photos
are named according to the ParcelID of the house in the picture. Let's add
these photos to a parcel feature class as attachments.
"""

import csv
import arcpy
import os
import sys

input = r"C:\Data\City.gdb\Parcels"
inputField = "ParcelID"
matchTable = r"C:\Data\matchtable.csv"
matchField = "ParcelID"
pathField = "Picture" 
picFolder = r"C:\Pictures"

try:
    # create a new Match Table csv file
    writer = csv.writer(open(matchTable, "wb"), delimiter=",")

    # write a header row (the table will have two columns: ParcelID and Picture)
    writer.writerow([matchField, pathField])

    # iterate through each picture in the directory and write a row to the table
    for file in os.listdir(picFolder):
        if str(file).find(".jpg") > -1:
            writer.writerow([str(file).replace(".jpg", ""), file])

    del writer

    # the input feature class must first be GDB attachments enabled
    arcpy.EnableAttachments_management(input)

    # use the match table with the Add Attachments tool
    arcpy.AddAttachments_management(input, targetField, matchTable, matchField, pathField, picFolder)
except Exception as err:
    print(err.args[0])

Environments

Licensing information

  • ArcGIS Desktop Basic: No
  • ArcGIS Desktop Standard: Yes
  • ArcGIS Desktop Advanced: Yes

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