Selecting PLSS data from a table of attributes

Question

Hello, I thought I would post a question I am having to see if Python can work with what I'm trying to accomplish. I know Python at the most basic level so any help would be appreciated. I am trying to select the appropriate township, range, section, quarter, and quarter quarter section data from a separate table that contains what I am wanting queried. In the most Lehman terms possible, I have one data set of PLSS data and then a separate table that has a column (attribute) of specific locations such as T 1 S R 3 W Section 27 or NWSW, NWSE, NENW, NESW, NESE, SWNE, SWSW, SWSE, SENW, SESW, SESE. What I am trying to accomplish is I want to generate an easy way of selecting my PLSS data from this table of attributes so I do not have to find them individually. I hope this makes sense.

Thank you kindly for any help!

benberman · Answer

you can create a sorted list of unique PLSS values

lst=sorted(set([row.getValue("attr field") for row in arcpy.SearchCursor(feature_class_name)]))

Zeke · Answer

If your set of PLSS data has the T, R, S... in separate columns, and your other table has them joined, you could just split the joined values and run a query on that, e.g. "Twp = newlist[0] and Rng = newlist[1] and Sec = newlist[2]..." and so on.

Even easier would be to make a new field in the first, PLSS, dataset and run a field calculation to concatenate your separate values, then join like James recommends above.

JamesCrandall · Answer

Hello, I thought I would post a question I am having to see if Python can work with what I'm trying to accomplish. I know Python at the most basic level so any help would be appreciated. I am trying to select the appropriate township, range, section, quarter, and quarter quarter section data from a separate table that contains what I am wanting queried. In the most Lehman terms possible, I have one data set of PLSS data and then a separate table that has a column (attribute) of specific locations such as T 1 S R 3 W Section 27 or NWSW, NWSE, NENW, NESW, NESE, SWNE, SWSW, SWSE, SENW, SESW, SESE. What I am trying to accomplish is I want to generate an easy way of selecting my PLSS data from this table of attributes so I do not have to find them individually. I hope this makes sense.

Thank you kindly for any help!

You may have to clarify a bit, but it doesn't sound like you need Python to accomplish this at all.  Why not simply join your PLSS layer with your table of attributes?  You can then just make your required selections on the PLSS layer.