Introduction

You now know that GIS data includes more than just what you may see in a map. Each layer has additional information linked to it which is stored in an Attribute Table. Also, not all data you display in a map is stored in a traditional GIS format. Some may be stored in standalone tables or even spreadsheets. These can also be displayed in a map if they include an address or x and y coordinates.  

However, there is a lot data out there in various databases which may not have x and y coordinates, or an address, or even be part of our GIS, but we need to be able to use that information to perform queries, display information, or conduct analysis in the GIS. This data may come from other systems, such as tax appraisal, permitting, inspections, work order, and asset management systems. If we want to use data stored in these systems we must be able to link it to our GIS data. ArcGIS Pro provides a couple of methods to do this, Join and Relate.

At other times, we may need to transfer or link data together that is in our GIS. ArcGIS Pro supports several tools which allow you to do this, including a Spatial Join and creating relationship classes within a geodatabase.    

In this chapter, you will learn the steps needed to link data in ArcGIS Pro to increase the capabilities of your datasets. You will learn how to create and use joins and relates. You will perform a spatial join to combine attributes between two layers based on a spatial relationship. Lastly, you will learn how to create and configure a relationship class within a geodatabase. You will start with a simple relationship class by creating an annotation feature class which is linked to another layer. Then you will create a relationship class manually, which will link two feature classes together.