Keyset tables in a geodatabase in SQL Server

A keyset table is used to store a list of selected rows when an ArcGIS Desktop client executes a geodatabase relationship query that joins tables using attributes that are type integer, number, date, or string.

As discussed in ArcSDE log file table configuration options for SQL Server, log file tables store the ObjectIDs of the selected features. Keyset tables are used to accommodate joins using attributes other than the ObjectID.

One keyset table is created per connection per session when there are more than 99 rows in the source selection set in the database query.

Keyset tables in ArcGIS Desktop

You cannot see keyset tables in ArcGIS Desktop. However, you cause a keyset table to be created and populated when you select more than 99 records in a feature class involved in a relationship class in ArcMap, then open the attribute table, and use the Related Tables list in the Options menu to retrieve the related table. You also cause a keyset table to be created when you start an edit session.

Keyset tables in a Microsoft SQL Server database

No keyset tables are present in the geodatabase until one of two things happens:

• A qualifying selection is made via ArcGIS Desktop
• You begin an edit session

When either of these two things happens, the keyset table is created as a global temporary table. In the first case, the keyset table is created and populated. In the second example, the keyset table is merely created but not populated until a qualifying selection set is made.

The keyset table name includes the name of the schema of the user who caused the keyset table to be created and the process identification number of the user's session. The format is as follows:

<user_schema>.##keyset_<process_id>_sde

The keyset table stores a keyset ID number for each selection set and values for the field on which the relationship between the feature classes is based.

Because it is a temporary table, the keyset table is deleted when the user disconnects from the database.

The following is a keyset table for a selection made between the related tables LATERALS and CONTRACTORS. In this case, the LONG_VAL field would be populated and contain the values of the CONTRACTOR_ID field on which the relationship class between LATERALS and CONTRACTORS is based.

<user_schema>.##keyset_<process_id>_sde

The following is the definition for a keyset table in SQL Server:

Field name	Field type	Description	Null?
KEYSET_ID	integer	Identifier for the keyset selection	NOT NULL
LONG_VAL	integer	Value of the field on which the relationship class is based, if that field is a number field
STR_VAL	nvarchar(256)	Value of the field on which the relationship class is based, if that field is a string field
DBL_VAL	float	Value of the field on which the relationship class is based, if that field is a double precision field
DATE_VAL	datetime datetime2	Value of the field on which the relationship class is based, if that field is a date field

Keyset tables in an XML document

Keyset tables do not get stored in an XML document because they are temporary tables.