Capitalizing Fields

Question

Hi Everyone: I'm hoping to get some assistance from minds that are better than my own. I'm new to python but I'm trying to cobble together a script that will let me capitalize first letters in certain fields of shapefiles that I have. Here is my code: import sys, string, os, arcgisscripting gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3) gp.AddToolbox("C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/Data Management Tools.tbx") gp.Workspace = "C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/vector/zone17" gp.OverWriteOutput = True vectorlist = gp.ListFeatureClasses ("17*", "all") for vector in vectorlist: updateRows = gp.UpdateCursor(vector) updateRow = updateRows.Next() while updateRow: newString = "" for word in updateRow.Units.split(" "): newString = word.capitalize() + " " + newString updateRow.Units = newString[:-1] updateRows.updaterow(updateRow) updateRow = updateRows.Next() del updateRow del updateRows updateRows = gp.UpdateCursor(vector) updateRow = updateRows.Next() while updateRow: newString = "" for word in updateRow.Units.split(" "): newString = word.capitalize() + " " + newString updateRow.Srvy_Meth = newString[:-1] updateRows.updaterow(updateRow) updateRow = updateRows.Next() del updateRow del updateRows updateRows = gp.UpdateCursor(vector) updateRow = updateRows.Next() while updateRow: newString = "" for word in updateRow.Creat_Meth.split(" "): newString = word.capitalize() + " " + newString updateRow.Creat_Meth = newString[:-1] updateRows.updaterow(updateRow) updateRow = updateRows.Next() del updateRow del updateRows gp.CalculateField_management(vector, "Accuracy", "str(!Accuracy!).upper()", "PYTHON", "") When I try to run this process, I get an error reading: Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\Max\python.py", line 17, in updateRows = gp.UpdateCursor(vector) RuntimeError: ERROR 999999: Error executing function. General function failure I also tried running it with quotation marks around vector but that gives me the following error: Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\Max\python.py", line 17, in updateRows = gp.UpdateCursor("vector") RuntimeError: ERROR 999999: Error executing function. A locator with this name does not exist. Thanks for any help, Max

DaleHoneycutt · Answer

See also this blog post about using Calculate Field.  It contains examples of capitalizing values.

BruceNielsen · Answer

Max,

I think you were on the right track earlier when you were using an Update Cursor. And as someone else stated recently, leave CalculateField to the modelbuilders. This code should do what you were trying to accomplish:import arcgisscripting
gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3)

gp.AddToolbox("C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/Data Management Tools.tbx")

gp.Workspace = "C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17"

gp.OverWriteOutput = 1

vectorlist = gp.ListFeatureClasses ("17*", "all")

for vector in vectorlist:
    print vector
    gp.AddField_management(vector, "Metres", "DOUBLE", "6", "1", "", "", "NON_NULLABLE", "NON_REQUIRED", "")
    rows = gp.UpdateCursor(vector)
    row = rows.Next()
    while row:
        row.Units = row.Units.title().replace('Meters', 'Metres')
        row.Srvy_Meth = row.Srvy_Meth.title()
        row.Creat_Meth = row.Creat_Meth.title()
        row.Accuracy = row.Accuracy.capitalize()
        row.Depth = abs(row.Depth) * -1.0
        if row.Units == "Metres":
            row.Metres = row.Depth
        elif row.Units == "Feet":
            row.Metres = row.Depth * 0.3048
        elif row.Units == "Fathoms":
            row.Metres = row.Depth * 1.8288
        rows.UpdateRow(row)
        row = rows.Next()

Hopefully, I interpreted your logic correctly, and all you will find are syntax errors.

Good luck

MaxSwiatkowski · Answer

Here's my new code, although I managed to figure out the problem with capitalizing on my own.
Now I'm trying to figure out how to put an if statement into the field calculator without using VBA (my python shell doesn't run it for some reason).
Thanks for any help Bruce.import sys, string, os, arcgisscripting

gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3)

gp.AddToolbox("C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/Data Management Tools.tbx")

gp.Workspace = "C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17"

gp.OverWriteOutput = 1

vectorlist = gp.ListFeatureClasses ("17*", "all")

for vector in vectorlist:
    print vector
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Units", "str(!Units!).title()", "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Units", "str(!Units!).replace('Meters', 'Metres')", "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Srvy_Meth", "str(!Srvy_Meth!).title()", "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Creat_Meth", "str(!Creat_Meth!).title()", "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Accuracy", "str(!Accuracy!).capitalize()", "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Depth", "abs(!Depth!)*-1", "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.AddField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Metres", "DOUBLE", "6", "1", "", "", "NON_NULLABLE", "NON_REQUIRED", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Metres", 'if str(!Units!) = "Metres": (!Metres!)=(!Depth!)', "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Metres", 'if str(!Units!) = "Feet": (!Metres!)=0.3048*(!Depth!)', "PYTHON_9.3", "")
    gp.CalculateField_management("C:/Max/Bathymetry_Cleanup/Vector/zone17/" + vector, "Metres", 'if str(!Units!) = "Fathoms": (!Metres!)=1.8288*(!Depth!)', "PYTHON_9.3", "")