[GIS] Repairing link between shapefile and layer file

arcgis-10.2arcgis-desktoplayer-fileshapefile

every time I open the same lyr file I have to do data/repair data source (link to the shp file).

I tried to save/export that shp file again, and create the new layer file as well, but every time the same thing happens. The Arc does not remember the link between these two.

Moreover, when I define the data source and the shp file appears in Arc, I have to define the symboloy from scratch (via properties/symbology/import dialogue)

Any ideas how to permanently define the link between the shp and layer file in ArcGIS 10.2 for Desktop? (When drag lyr file to automatically link the shp file)

Best Answer

As you can see from the comment thread above, layer files and relative paths are a bit complicated.

The problem is that a layer file (*.lyr) can either hold absolute paths or relative paths, but there doesn't seem to be any (easy) way to ascertain which it uses, after the layer file has been created.

To create a layer file with relative paths, there are two options:

in ArcMap, choose > File > Map Document Properties > Store Relative Paths, then right-click on the layer and Save As Layer File; or
using the Save To Layer File geoprocessing tool, choose relative paths

(Obviously to choose absolute paths do the above with the other option chosen.)

So in your situation it sounds like you might need to recreate your layer file using either absolute paths or relative paths (depending on your workflow):

add the broken layer file to ArcMap
repair the source
re-save a new *.lyr file using the appropriate path option
delete the existing broken *.lyr file

Related Solutions

[GIS] How to fix link between layer and shapefile in ArcGIS 10

Right click on the layer in table of contents.
Select data> repair data source.
Then save the layer file again. There could be issues with either your MXD location, or you relative/actual path setting.
I use the relative path method but ALWAYS keep my MXD in a folder directly under the data.

always keep the mxd file in the folder together

Not exactly (but I have hundreds of long life documents (mxd)). I use the relative depicted in the link except that my mxd folder is "in-line" with my data folder.
mypath
"Maps" being where my mxd files are.
The bottome portion of the image is not what I do either.
I use a region/project folder structure , and then split out my data types inside the project.
With basemaps being at the root data level.
That is just what works for me. I can come back to documents years later, if the data has been moved I can still repair and it will repair "all" data in the document easily.
The point of the relative and absolute options are that each user can use it differently.
As-per their needs.

QGIS Layer File – Equivalent of ArcGIS’s Layer (*.LYR) File

It does now :)

Only in the dev version but something like this could be added in an older release using a plugin. If I get some time I might just do that.

enter image description here

A QGIS Layer Definition file will have the *.qlr extension and is a XML dump of the maplayer node for the project.

The start of the file will look like this:

<!DOCTYPE qgis-layer-definition>
<maplayer minimumScale="-4.65661e-10" maximumScale="1e+08" simplifyDrawingHints="1" minLabelScale="0" maxLabelScale="1e+08" simplifyDrawingTol="1" geometry="Polygon" simplifyMaxScale="1" type="vector" hasScaleBasedVisibilityFlag="0" simplifyLocal="1" scaleBasedLabelVisibilityFlag="0">
  <datasource>F:/gis_data/cadastre.shp</datasource>
  <title></title>
  <abstract></abstract>
  <keywordList>
    <value></value>
  </keywordList>
  <layername>cadastre</layername>
  ... {style, etc}
</maplayer

QGIS 2.8 Update

As of 2.8 QLR files now support many layers as well as groups. Right click on a group in the legend to save it out to a QLR file everything under the group will be saved to the QLR file.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[GIS] How to fix link between layer and shapefile in ArcGIS 10

QGIS Layer File – Equivalent of ArcGIS’s Layer (*.LYR) File

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