Python Script Dissolve (in_)memory Error

Question

Hello,

The following code produces an the following error:

fc_mem_1 = r"memory	emp_1"
...
fc_mem_2 = r"memory	emp_2" # memory fails, use in_memory
arcpy.analysis.PairwiseDissolve(fc_mem_1, fc_mem_2, 'cl_id', statistics_fields=stat_fields, multi_part='MULTI_PART')

While the following code does not produce an error:

fc_mem_1 = r"memory	emp_1"
...
fc_mem_2 = r"in_memory	emp_2"
arcpy.analysis.PairwiseDissolve(fc_mem_1, fc_mem_2, 'cl_id', statistics_fields=stat_fields, multi_part='MULTI_PART')

I understand in_memory to be a legacy workspace.  Is this expected behavior with PairwiseDissolve and Dissolve?

Thank you,

Tyler

ArcGIS Pro 3.1.0

KevinGabelman · Answer

Well, you definitely cannot have file extensions when you're using the memory workspace(s). And more generally speaking, I have found it pretty difficult to manage arcpy memory datasets unless they're being consumed almost immediately. In addition, there are certain spatial GP - Dissolve included - with which I never use memory. The need for an index (or something) means the tool doesn't usually work right.

TylerT · Answer

I just ran into the same with with arcpy.analysis.Union().  The out_feature_class will not accept memory\ but will accept the legacy in_memory.

ESRI?  Thoughts?

Thank you.

Tyler
ArcGIS Pro 3.3

KimOllivier · Answer

Yes, well the Pro developers forgot to read the ArcMap manuals.... there is now a synonym to patch up the syntax. I presume that it is a different mechanism under the hood. It never worked reliably for me anyway, so I just use an SSD drive as my scratch.gdb. You can easily run out of memory if you do not release the features, and who does that? Also projections did not work etc.