Feature Search

The Feature Search tool provides the ability to identify features in a layer, including those added to the Map via the Add Resources tool, according to criteria specified by a query.

Once a search has been completed, the search criteria is saved for your convenience. Therefore, the next time the Feature Search tab is opened, the previously used search criteria still applies. If you want to define a new search, click Reset .

NOTE: The Feature Search option is not available for cached map services published from ArcGIS Online because such services do not support all of the capabilities of those published through ArcGIS Server.

Search for a feature based on:

• Attribute Search
• Spatial Search
• or a combination thereof

Steps:

• Within the Map, navigate to the Feature Search tab.
• In the Feature Search tab, select the Resource, the layer on which the search is to be performed, from the dropdown menu.
• The layer will automatically be displayed and the Resource Visibility checkbox indicated. NOTE: If the default Resource is the desired layer, manually indicate the Resource Visibility checkbox to display the layer.
• 
  NOTE: If a Filter has been applied to the Resource (i.e. Layer), a Current Layer Filter accordion section is displayed, defining the filter applied and the option to Clear Filter.
  
• Define search criteria according to an Attribute Search and/or designating a location in which to perform a Spatial Search.
• To clear the defined expression, click the Reset button.
• NOTE: A green check mark icon on a section indicates that criteria have been defined within that section of the Feature Search tab.

Attribute Search:

The fields in the Attributes section differ according to the layer specified in Resource dropdown.

• If not already expanded, click the Attributes label to expand the section.
• Define the search criteria by selecting a value(s) from the various field dropdown menus.
• Select multiple values by holding down the SHIFT key and selecting the values
• Select specific values by depressing the CTRL key and selecting the values.
  

Spatial Search:

The Spatial Search enables selection of Resource features based on their location in relation to the selected features defined within Search By; in an ad-hoc manner.

• Click Spatial Search to expand the accordion section.
• From the Search By dropdown, select how the search area will be defined.
• Box, Polygon, Point, or Line - digitize the search area according to the tooltip instructions.
• To re-define the search area, click the Select by Drawing button to digitize the search area.
• Features from map resource:
• From the Resource dropdown menu, select the layer from which to copy the shape(s).
• NOTE: If the chosen Resource is comprised of multiple layers, an additional Layer dropdown list will be displayed from which to select the given layer to copy the shape(s).
• Click theSelect From Resource button.
  
• Holding the mouse button down, draw a box on the map to select the features within the layer.
• The Details dialog of the selected features will be displayed. To remove a feature from the selection, within the Details dialog, from the Tasks menu select Remove from Include List.
• The number of features selected will display in the Spatial Search section to the right of Select From Resource.
• To display the Details dialog of the selected features again, click the View button.
• Indicate Use Buffer to buffer the selected spatial feature(s). Enter the desired buffer distance and select the distance unit from the dropdown. A graphic will display the buffered area.
• NOTE: A positive distance will buffer outside the feature whereas a negative distance will buffer within the feature. Negative distances cannot exceed the size of the shape, nor can they be used with Point or Line features. The following error will be displayed when the negative distance exceeds the size of the shape.
• 
• From the Search Type dropdown, define how features within the Resource will be selected by the shape(s) specified within the Spatial Search:
• Intersects - selects features from the Resource which are crossed by or are contained within the search selection
• Contains - selects features from the Resource which are completely contained by the search selection (nothing outside the search selection).
• Within - selects features from the Resource which the search selection falls entirely within (nothing outside the Resource shape).
• Touches - selects features from the Resource which the search selection touches, even by sharing a border or vertex.
• To clear the spatial graphic representing the search area, uncheck the Show Spatial Graphic checkbox.

Results

• Click Search to run the search based on the defined criteria.
  NOTE: If a Filter has been applied to the Resource (i.e. Layer), an Ignore Filter checkbox is displayed. Checking this will return results of the search while ignoring the applied filter. If the checkbox is not checked, the results returned will only reflect those which meet both the Feature Search criteria AND the Filter criteria.
  
• The search results will be displayed within the Results accordion section at the bottom of the Feature Search tab.
• The Results section provides the following functionality, which will be applied to selected records. Select/deselect records by checking/unchecking individual records. Alternatively, select/deselect all records within a level of the tree by checking/unchecking the higher level entry.
  
• Table - displays the results within a table format. In addition to the same Zoom and Flash functionality below, the table format also enables the user to Print to PDF and Export as CSV.
  
  
• Details – to view the Details dialog of the indicated feature(s).
• Zoom to indicated feature(s)
• Flash indicated feature(s)
• Filter By uses the Attribute Search criteria to limit the spatial features displayed, thereby Filtering the Resource. A message will be displayed indicating the Resource has been Filtered according to the Attribute Search criteria. If Filter By is not applied, all the spatial features will be displayed with the Search results highlighted.
  
  NOTE: Feature Search results are limited to a given number of records (i.e. 1000) whereas the Filter is not. So, if an Attribute Search is applied and the results exceed the record limit and Filter By is chosen, more features may be displayed than highlighted by the Feature Search.
  NOTE: Because Filters cannot be defined spatially, the Filter By option is only available when an Attribute Search has been applied. If both an Attribute and Spatial Search have been applied and Filter By is chosen, the Filter will be limited to the Attribute Search criteria.
• NOTE: The search criteria is saved, for your convenience. Therefore, the next time the Feature Search tab is opened, the previously used search criteria still applies. If you want to define a new search, click Reset .

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Related Topics:

• Add Resources
• Details