Label Expression, Abbreviation Dictionary Error

[JosephDowney]

I have a feature that I have to use a formatting tag on (bold), my expression is something like this:

[field] + " " + "<bol>" + [field2] + "</bol>" + "\n" + [field]

The expression works fine. The problem is the abbreviation dictionary doesn't recognize stuff to abbreviate. Conversely, if I use the exact same expression removing the bold tags:

[field] + " " + [field2] + "\n" + [field]

then the abbreviation dictionary works fine. I've tried all 3 Parsers available (VBScript, JScript, and Python -- Advanced) and the same thing happens. It seems to be an issue with the formatting tags messing up the abbreviation dictionary.

I'm using ArcMap10.2.2, does anyone have any suggestions, or had this issue, know how to fix it?

[IanMurray · Accepted solution]

It says pretty clearly in the 10.3 help(which I will assume is valid for 10.2.2) that:

"Labels containing text formatting tags will not be abbreviated by the Maplex Label Engine when using an abbreviation dictionary."

Text formatting tags—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/mapping/text/text-formatting-tags.htm

[JosephDowney]

Thank you, good find, and you are correct this is the same in 10.2.2 as well. This is however quite a bummer...

[IanMurray]

Sometimes you get an answer, but its not the answer you want.

My thought would be if you could make a new field(s) and populated it with the the values that would be returned for each of your original fields from the abbreviation dictionary using python.  Then you could use those fields without the abbreviation dictionary and apply the formatting tags.  What things are you having abbreviated(I'm guessing address related things)?

[JosephDowney]

They are actually flight obstructions like tall buildings. They need to to have what kind of obstruction they are, Building, Tower, etc. and their height information, one of the the heights needs to be bold.

Space permitting we would like to spell out Building, and in dense areas we would like to Abbreviate to Bldg. I know I could make the expression:

     "Bldg" + "<bol>" + [field2] + "</bol>" +"\n" + [field3]

and we could figure out some way to identify dense areas ahead of time (maybe using cartographic partitions) and tag the features ahead of time in a field "in_dense_area" and give it a boolean value and set those up into different classes:

     False: "Building" + "<bol>" + [field2] + "</bol>" +"\n" + [field3]

     True:  "Bldg" + "<bol>" + [field2] + "</bol>" +"\n" + [field3]

Not quite the same effect as if the tools just worked the way I want them to though...

[JosephDowney]

If anyone has any work around suggestions I would be open trying them....

[WesMiller]

Are your features points? Do you have an Advanced License? You could use Aggregate Points to predetermine density. http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//00700000002s000000​