ArcMap

Index Item

Available with Advanced license.

Summary

Creates an attribute index to increase access speed to the specified item during query operations.

Usage

  • Indexed items speed up selection operations of large INFO files.

  • Item indexes are preserved when the coverage or INFO table is copied to a new location.

  • Item indexes are preserved when exporting and importing a coverage to an interchange (.e00) file using the Export To Interchange File and Import From Interchange File tools.

  • Items must be indexed to support native mode reselects against external database management system (DBMS) tables.

  • An index file becomes outdated if the following commands are used on the INFO table: Calculate Field, Update, Build, or Clean. Attempting to use the outdated index will cause the following message to be generated: "Index file is obsolete." If you receive this message, rebuild the index file and continue.

  • The following commands are affected by indexed items: Eliminate, Select, and Join Info Tables.

Syntax

IndexItem(in_info_table, index_item)
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_info_table

The name of the INFO table containing the item to be indexed

INFO Table
index_item

The name of the item to be indexed

INFO Item

Code sample

IndexItem example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to index an item in a coverage, and then select features using the indexed item.

# Name: IndexItem_Example.py
# Description: Indexes an item then uses that item to select features.
# Requirements: ArcInfo Workstation

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
env.workspace = "C:/data"

# Set local variables
inInfoTable = "stream/arc"
indexItem = "STRM_ORD"
inCover = "stream"
outCover = "C:/output/lowerstreams"
infoExpress = ["RESELECT STRM_ORD > 3"]

# Execute IndexItem
arcpy.IndexItem_arc(inInfoTable, indexItem)
arcpy.Reselect_arc(inCover, outCover, infoExpress)

Environments

Licensing information

  • Basic: No
  • Standard: No
  • Advanced: Requires ArcInfo Workstation installed

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