I have the following, i am trying to select and delete all the empty and null attributes but when i run the code the output feature class is empty. I am not sure what i am doing wrong, the SelectLayerByAttribute_management works in Arcmap python window. # Process: Make Feature Layer TAX1 = "in_memory\TaxPar" arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(Taxparcels, TAX1) #Delets Parcels that are blank, NULL or start with Q query = "DXF_TEXT LIKE 'Q%' or DXF_TEXT = ' ' or DXF_TEXT IS NULL" arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management(TAX1, "NEW_SELECTION", query) if int(arcpy.GetCount_management(TAX1).getOutput(0)) > 0: arcpy.DeleteFeatures_management(TAX1) arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion(TAX1, "D:/GIS Folder/Blah/blah.gdb", "Blah2")

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Select layer by attributes empty and null

CCWeedcontrol

I have the following, i am trying to select and delete all the empty and null attributes but when i run the code the output feature class is empty. I am not sure what i am doing wrong, the SelectLayerByAttribute_management works in Arcmap python window.

# Process: Make Feature Layer
TAX1 = "in_memory\TaxPar"
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(Taxparcels, TAX1)

#Delets&nbsp; Parcels that are blank, NULL or start with Q

query = "DXF_TEXT LIKE 'Q%' or DXF_TEXT = ' ' or DXF_TEXT IS NULL"
arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management(TAX1, "NEW_SELECTION", query)
if int(arcpy.GetCount_management(TAX1).getOutput(0)) > 0:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; arcpy.DeleteFeatures_management(TAX1)

arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion(TAX1, "D:/GIS Folder/Blah/blah.gdb", "Blah2")<SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

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Accepted answers

bixb0012

All feature layers are created in memory, you don't have to put "in_memory" in the name. If anything, putting "in_memory" in the name will confuse geoprocessing functions about the type of object you are passing to it.

I would start by changing line 2 to:

TAX1 = "TaxPar"

All comments

bixb0012

You are over thinking it a bit, there is no reason in introduce a search cursor. The following will get the same results but is more straightforward and quicker:

mem_fc <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>CopyFeatures_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>Taxparcels<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> r<SPAN class="string token">"in_memory\TaxPar"</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
fl <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>MakeFeatureLayer_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>mem_fc<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">"TaxPar"</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>

query <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">"DXF_TEXT LIKE 'Q%' or DXF_TEXT = ' ' or DXF_TEXT IS NULL"</SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>SelectLayerByAttribute_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>fl<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">"NEW_SELECTION"</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> query<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
<SPAN class="keyword token">if</SPAN> int<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>GetCount_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>fl<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>getOutput<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="number token">0</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN> <SPAN class="operator token">></SPAN> <SPAN class="number token">0</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">:</SPAN>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>DeleteFeatures_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>fl<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

CCWeedcontrol

I took your guys recommendations and came up with the following, not sure if this correct or the best way but it seem to work.

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(Taxparcels, "in_memory\TaxPar")
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management("in_memory\TaxPar", "TaxPar")

query = "DXF_TEXT LIKE 'Q%' or DXF_TEXT = ' ' or DXF_TEXT IS NULL"

with arcpy.da.SearchCursor("TaxPar", "DXF_TEXT") as cursor:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; for row in cursor:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; if row[0] in (""," ",None,"Q%"):
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management("TaxPar", "NEW_SELECTION", query)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; if int(arcpy.GetCount_management("TaxPar").getOutput(0)) > 0:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; arcpy.DeleteFeatures_management("TaxPar")
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; else:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; pass<SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

JoeBorgione

I was typing this as Joshua's latest response came in:

In order to work on a feature class with arcpy, you need to work 'through' a feature layer. When you open up arcmap and make edits, ArcMap is doing the behind the scenes work for you with respect to a feature layer. If you run an arcpy script in arcmap, you need to have arcpy do that behind the scenes work. Consider this: if you run an arcpy script as a scheduled task and that script interacts with a feature class, having that middle man of a feature layer is the only thing you can do.

If you are trying to weed out null values and/or blank values, I think it is good practice to take a close look at your data first with ArcMap queries to get a handle on what you are facing.

bixb0012

Feature Layers and Table Views don't contain any actual data, they simply reference data. If you create a feature layer and use it in geoprocessing tasks, the underlying data is being modified. If you need to leave the original data set intact, I recommend copying the data set either into memory or a scratch GDB and then making the feature layer on it, clean it up, and then do whatever you need to next.

CCWeedcontrol

Ok, so after pulling my hair out with this issue. I noticed that it removed the blanks and nulls from the original dataset not the dataset in MakeFeautreLayer_management. Why is it working off the original dataset? Should i be checking to see if there are attributes with 'Q', ' ' & NULL first? If so how do check with arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management?

CCWeedcontrol

ok, i see, thanks

JoeBorgione

Or just leave out line 2 and the assignment of TAX1 all together

<SPAN class="comment token"># </SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>MakeFeatureLayer_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>Taxparcels<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'taxparclesLYR'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>

<SPAN class="comment token">#Delets&nbsp; Parcels that are blank, NULL or start with Q</SPAN>

query <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">"DXF_TEXT LIKE 'Q%' or DXF_TEXT = ' ' or DXF_TEXT IS NULL"</SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>SelectLayerByAttribute_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'taxparclesLYR'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">"NEW_SELECTION"</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> query<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>
<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>
<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN><SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

bixb0012

I would start by changing line 2 to:

TAX1 = "TaxPar"

CCWeedcontrol

I am not sure what you mean by change the layer name to "TAX1", i was trying to create a feature layer In_memory to work with which is why i have line 3.

I was thinking my query syntx was wrong.

bixb0012

You are trying to create a feature layer whose name is "in_memory\TaxPar". I strongly suggest not doing this. What if you change the layer name to something like "TAX1"?

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