How can I remove WMS layers from mxds using arcpy ?

Question

Hi - I'm trying to remove WMS layers from an mxd using arcpy. I can successfully remove "MapServer" type services using the below code, but not WMS?

Any ideas? Is arcpy.mapping.RemoveLayer the best approach ? I have hundreds of mxds to crawl through and want to remove WMS layers from them.

Here's my mxd with two different WMS layers in for reference: here
import arcpy, os

inFName = "wms.mxd"
outFName = "wms_removed.mxd"
pth = r"c:	emp"
inFULLPTH = os.path.join(pth,inFName)
outFULLPTH = os.path.join(pth,outFName)
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(inFULLPTH)

for df in arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd):
    LyrList = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "", df)
    print LyrList

for lyr in LyrList:
        if lyr.supports("SERVICEPROPERTIES"):
            if lyr.serviceProperties["ServiceType"] == "WMS":
                print "Removing: " + lyr.name + ": " + lyr.serviceProperties["ServiceType"]
                arcpy.mapping.RemoveLayer(df, lyr)

mxd.saveACopy(outFULLPTH)
del mxd

JeffreyBarrette · Answer

In my first response to this thread, I said I marked this as a bug and submitted it to our developer and it is hopefully something we can address in time for SP4.

You can track it with NIM074823.

Jeff

RachaelYule · Answer

Hi Jeff - many thanks. Apologies for the delayed response. Thanks for the tip on layers being both group AND service layers, didn't think to check that.

One final question that is puzzling.  In my example mxd. The first set of "World_Imagery" layers is not recognised as a Service Layer. The other two World_Imagery groups can now be identified as supporting service layers after editing my code based on your suggestions.

Any ideas why the first set of service layers fails the if lyr.supports("SERVICEPROPERTIES"): test. I guess I could identify the world imagery layer by name, but I'd have to identify all 'older' Esri service layers by name, which is not ideal.

Cheers
Sam

JeffreyBarrette · Answer

Your first issue is very similar to the WMS layer and its sub layers.  For example, your TOC has the following layers:
World_Imagery
     World Imagery
     Low-Resolution (15m) Imagery
     High-Resolution (60cm) Imagery
     High-Resolution (30cm) Imagery

The root layer "World_Imagery" is an AGS Map service and it does support "SERVICEPROPERTIES".  The problem is that you are bypassing it with the "if" lyr.isGroupLayer statement.  After that you are using "elif" statements so you never test to see if it ALSO supports service properties, you only test the sub layers which do not.  I know this is tricky.  The service layer is a group layer AND a a service layer type= MapServer.  Again this can be done with the lyr.longName property.

Concerning your second issue and determining specific data types.  What gets reported from the describe statement does NOT match what you see in the UI when you go into the layers data source properties.  The UI lists one value but the arcpy.describe lists a different value.  I think the two should be the same and it should match the UI.  For example:

UI, Data Type = CAD Annotation Feature Class
Describe.dataType = FeatureLayer

UI, Feature Type = Simple
Describe.featureType = CoverageAnnotation.

This needs to be looked at.  I currently don't have a way to CAD data unless the "CAD" is in the layer name.

Thanks,
Jeff