Returning feature dataset name for a feature class

WesKing

Python noob here wondering if there's a direct way to return the name of a feature dataset for a feature class.

I know I can return the data source and extract the dataset name, but I figure there's got to be a way to directly return only the dataset name.

Along the same line, is there a way to check if a feature class belongs to a feature dataset?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Wes

T__WayneWhitley

That's not going to work.  The question clearly states the feature dataset name of a feature class is desired.  Since that should be in the pathname or 'catalogPath', Curtis Price posted in May 2011 a function to return it (if the fc is indeed part of a feature dataset)--

http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/31513-Test-if-SDE-feature-class-is-part-of-a-feature-dataset#3

Pretty straightforward, arcpy.describe(FC).catalogPath returns that path that includes the feature dataset as the 2nd to last pathname component, if it exists....the existence is checked by using dirname to return the path without the basename, then tested for dataType.......if FeatureDataset the name is returned.  Clever Curtis!

import arcpy, os

def GetFDS(FC):
  """ Returns the feature dataset for a feature class
  or feature layer FC.

  If the feature class is not within a feature dataset,
  returns None."""
  # get the path to the feature class
  fcPath = arcpy.describe(FC).catalogPath
  # get the path to its container
  fcHome = os.path.dirname(fcPath)
  # is it a feature dataset??
  if arcpy.describe(fcHome).dataType == "FeatureDataset":
    return fcHome
  else:
    return None

@FLBB:  The complete 'walk' approach is here:
https://arcpy.wordpress.com/tag/listfeatureclasses/