PROBLEM

Join option is inactivated

Last Published: April 26, 2020

Description

When attempting to perform a join, the Join option from the Table menu is inactivated ("grayed out").

Cause

This may be because the source table already contains a join, the source table is in edit mode, or the join fields are not of the same data type.

Solution or Workaround

  • The source table contains a join:

    Make the source table active and select Remove All Joins from the Table menu.

    If the source table is a theme attribute table, convert the theme to a new shapefile to make the current join permanent. Perform the join on the new theme table.

    If the table is not linked to a theme in the view, export the source table to a new table to make the current join permanent. Add the new table to the project. Perform the join on the new shapefile.
     
  • The source table is in edit mode:

    Select the Stop Editing option from the Table menu. Save Edits, if desired. Perform the join.
     
  • The join fields are not defined as the same data type:

    To determine the data type of a field, look at the values in the join field. If the values are left-justified, it is a string field. If the values are right-justified, it is a number field. Depending on the data type, it may be necessary to:

    A. Convert a number to a string. See: How To: Convert a number field to a string field
    B. Convert a string to a number. See: How To: Convert a string field to a number field

Article ID:000002284

Software:
  • Legacy Products

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