About Evaluating Properties

You can use expressions to evaluate properties. Here are some examples:

• Find all features on a layer that have a property equal to, greater than, or less than a particular value. For example, find all parcels with an assessed value greater than $250,000.
• Display all the features on a layer with a property that matches a pattern you specify. For example, display all roads whose names begin with “Mt.”
• Label features with the value of a particular property, rounded in a particular way. For example, label roads with their length, rounded up to the nearest whole number.

You can enter property names directly into an expression, or you can select them from the Property list. If you selected multiple feature layers, the properties for all those layers are available.

If you enter a property name that is not in the Property list, the Validate operation may issue a warning. However, if that property exists in your data store, the expression may still be valid when it is run.

You can also view and insert the valid values for any listed property.

The syntax for an expression that evaluates a property is slightly different, depending on whether you use an operator, a function, or an option. For an operator, the basic syntax is Property OPERATOR Value. For functions and options, the basic syntax is Function (PROPERTY).