Esri ArcGIS Portal Feature Service Writer Feature Type Parameters

To access feature type parameters, click the gear icon on a feature type in the workspace. This opens the Feature Type Parameter Editor.

Tip: To always display the editor in Workbench, you can select View > Windows > Parameter Editor.

General

All feature types share similar General parameters, which may include Feature Type Name, Reader or Writer information, and Geometry.

In most Writer Feature Type parameter dialogs, you can also control Dynamic Schema Definitions. Some database formats accept Table or Index Qualifier prefixes on the output table feature type.

These parameters apply only to a selected feature type, not to the entire writer.

Note: If a feature type parameter listed here conflicts with a writer-level parameter, then the writer parameter will be ignored and this feature type parameter will be used.

Layer Settings

Note: In FME 2022.0, the Writer Mode and Truncate First parameters were replaced with the Feature Operation and Feature Type Handling parameters. Existing writers should still maintain the same behavior. Please note that specifying fme_db_operation on incoming features will no longer override the selected feature operation. To use this functionality, set the feature operation to fme_db_operation.

This parameter specifies how features will be written into the destination table. Supported feature operations are described below. Note that the described behavior can be dependent on the selected options, as well as the underlying table properties.

Option

Description

If the Row Does Not Exist

If the Row Exists

Insert

The writer appends a new row to a table using input feature attributes.

The writer creates a new row using input feature attributes.

Not always applicable: if the table does not have a unique key or it has an automatically generated unique key, insertion is always possible.

The database cannot violate its key constraints; therefore, errors can occur on row insertion. For example, if there is a unique key and a user specifies the value with the feature, and the feature already exists, then Workbench logs an error. This error might be in the form of a rejected feature, or the database may stop processing altogether.

Update

The writer updates existing row(s) in a table using Object IDs.

The writer rejects the input feature or logs an error if it is unable to continue.

The writer only changes values of the existing row(s) corresponding to the input feature that differ from the input feature.

Upsert

The writer appends a new row or updates an existing row(s) using Global IDs.

The Use Global IDs writer parameter must be enabled in order to use the Upsert feature operation.

The writer creates a new row using input feature attributes and/or geometries.

The writer changes values of the existing row(s) corresponding to the input feature that differ from the input feature.

It leaves other attributes untouched.

Delete

The writer deletes an existing row(s) in a table.

The writer rejects the input feature or logs an error if it is unable to continue.

The writer deletes existing row(s) corresponding to the input feature.

fme_db_
operation

The feature operation will be determined by the attribute fme_db_operation on each input feature.

The value of fme_db_operation will be processed according to the steps below.

Note: The processing steps listed below depend on a format's available Feature Operation options.

  • If the value is null, empty, or missing, it will be treated as an Insert.
  • The value will next be matched to Insert, Update, Upsert, and Delete, case-insensitively.
  • If there is no match, the feature will be rejected.
  • If there is a match, the matched feature operation will be performed on the feature.
 The action depends on the operation; however, in general, if nothing is specified, the value is treated as an Insert. The value is treated as an Insert.

This parameter sets the handling options for Layer/Table corresponding to this feature type.

  • Use Existing - Use the existing Layer, or if the feature service specified by the writer parameter does not exist, create a new Layer.
  • Truncate Existing - Attempt to remove all the features or attachments in a hosted feature service Layer before writing features. If the Layer does not exist, the translation will fail.
  • If the Layer supports truncation, this option supports deleting all features or attachments in a hosted feature service layer.
  • If the Layer does not support truncation (or the operation fails), the writer performs a truncation by reading all feature IDs from the layer, and then making deletion requests in batches according to the advanced writer parameter Features Per Request.

This option tells the writer whether to update or skip spatial column(s) when updating features:

  • Yes: The spatial column(s) specified by the user will be updated. IFMENulls will be written as null values, and will replace existing spatial values.
  • No: No spatial columns will be updated.