Convert point file to polyline but not joining every set of points in ArcGIS10

Question

I have a dataset that looks like :

   OBJECTID   Shape   KP     DESCRIPTION  EASTING  NORTHING
      1       Point   0.04    Span;Start   525112.2 6728715.4
      2       Point   0.0506  Span;End     525122.2 6728716.5
      3       Point   0.0667  Span;Start   525138.6 6728718.7
      4       Point   0.0506  Span;End     525142.7 6728719.2

Projection is UTM30-ED50 and there are 1462 points in the file.

What I want to do is join each pair of points between the Start and End span, then leave a gap between the End and the next Start point.

I have run Point to Line, easy, but this joins every point. Is there a way of specifying only the pairs of points I want to join? Or dissolving the parts of the line I don't want to keep after I have used, say, XTools, to split the line by points?

Dumb question, I realise, but I just can't work this out!

Answer 1

A simple solution is to create another integer attribute and give a number the rows as follows 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6 (assuming your start and end point are alternate). You can create a function in the field calculator to work this out from the row number. Then create your lines as before but use this new attribute as the line ID.

Answer 2

"XY to Line" would work, but instead of each row being a start/end point, it would be a line feature defined by the coordinates of the two points.

I see some Excel work in your future.