The Merge tool combines one or more datasets into a single, new dataset. You can combine point, line, polygon, or tabular datasets.
Examples
The Merge tool can be used in scenarios such as the following:
- You have sales data stored in separate files for each month of the year. Use the Merge tool to combine the datasets into a single dataset to represent yearly sales.
- You have polygon boundary datasets for each province and territory in Canada and you want to combine them to create a single dataset for the country.
Parameters
The following table outlines the parameters in the Merge tool:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Input datasets | Two or more datasets that will be merged into a single, new dataset. |
Merge type | Specifies the merge type that will be used. |
Usage notes
Use the Input datasets parameter to identify two or more datasets that will be merged.
Use the Merge type parameter to specify the merge type that will be used. The options are as follows:
- Combine dataset schemas—The input datasets do not have the same schema or geometry type. All fields from each input dataset will be available in the result. For example, if you have a dataset with field1 and field2 fields and another dataset with field_x and field_y fields, the merge result will be a dataset with field1, field2, field_x, and field_y fields. If the input datasets contain fields with matching names but mismatched field types, the field from the first dataset in the list will be maintained, and the field from the next dataset in the list will have its name appended with _merge.
- Dataset schemas match exactly—The input datasets must have the same schema. The field names and types must be the same, and the geometry type must be the same. If the input datasets contain fields with matching names but mismatched field types, the tool will fail.
Outputs
The tool output is a dataset with the merged records from the input datasets.
If you use the Combine dataset schemas merge option, the fields from the input datasets will be returned as follows:
- Fields with matching names and types will be merged into a new, single field in the output. The field name and type will be maintained.
- Fields with mismatching names and types will be output as separate fields. The fields from the first input dataset will have the original name and type. The fields from the additional input datasets will have their names appended with _merge.
If you use the Dataset schemas match exactly merge option, the fields from the input datasets will be merged with their match. Field names and types will be maintained.
Limitations
The following are known limitations of the Merge tool:
- You cannot merge geometry fields with mismatched types. For example, you cannot merge two fields named GEOMETRY if one is polyline and the other is point.
- Fields will not be cast if they have the same name and different types. For example, if you merge an integer field with a double field, the integers will not be cast to double. To resolve field type or field name conflicts before merging, use the Update fields tool.
Licensing requirements
The following licensing and configurations are required:
- Creator or Professional user type
- Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role, or an equivalent custom role
To learn more about Data Pipelines requirements, see Requirements.