topic Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution in ArcGIS API for Python Questions

gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:09:06 GMT

Greetings,

I am using the ArcGIS API for Python and I am struggling with passing parameters to the gis.content.search function.

If I type in command parameters and run the snippet temp_list = gis.content.search(query="Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary) a list of content is returned.
However if I build a string, st = 'query=' + '"' + 'Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"', and do something like this: temp_list = gis.content.search(st) an empty list is returned.
1. In troubleshooting I have copied the printed string, st, from the interactive window and pasted the text into the gis.content.search() command which results in a list of content.
As of right now the following code is just a brain dump. I am using 2 lists to build the parameter string.
try:
query_list = ['Boundaries', 'ConservationEasements', 'Geographic Names', 'Hydrography', 'LandCover', 'Mapping Control', 'MontanaMask', 'Montana Managed Areas', 'Montana NAIP', 'NAIP', 'Parcel', 'PLSSS', 'PublicLands', 'Roads', 'Structures', 'Watershed', 'Wetlands']

item_type_list = list()
st = 'item_type =' + '"' + 'Feature Layer' + '"'
item_type_list.append(st)
st = 'item_type =' + '"' + 'Imagery Layer'# + '"'
item_type_list.append(st)
st = 'item_type =' + '"' + 'Map Image Layer'# + '"'
item_type_list.append(st)
for q in query_list:
st = 'query=' + '"' + q + ' AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"' #+ ', '
temp_list = gis.content.search(st)

Am I missing something obvious?

arcgis-api-python‌

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:16:50 GMT

arcgis.gis module — arcgis 1.4.2 documentation

query= is a parameter designator and shouldn't be in quotes or part or your quoted string I suspect

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:34:03 GMT

Yes, this is where I had decided I was going astray.

I am struggling with how to pass the string, st, to the parameter designator . Basic Python stuff I think.

This does not work either:

st = '"' + 'Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"'

gis.content.search(query=st)

>>> st = '"' + 'Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"'
>>> print(st)
"Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary"
>>> gis.content.search(query=st)
[]

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:40:01 GMT

If I type in command parameters and run the snippet temp_list = gis.content.search(query="Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary)

Is that just missing the final " in your quote that you used? because it is a string already if you put one in (ie st = "Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary" )

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

JoshuaBixby — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 09:12:50 GMT

What is you change your last two lines of code:

st = '"' + q + ' AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"' #+ ', '
temp_list = gis.content.search(query=st)‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

You can't pass named arguments the way you are trying to pass them in your current code.

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:04:32 GMT

In the previous message I missed the final quote on the string when copying and pasting to this editor.

from the interactive window:

>>> templist = gis.content.search(query="Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary")
>>> print(len(templist))
10
>>> st = '"' + 'Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"'
>>> print(st)
"Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary"
>>> templist = gis.content.search(query=st)
>>> print(len(templist))
0
>>> st = 'query =' + '"' + 'Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary' + '"'
>>> print(st)
query ="Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary"
>>> templist = gis.content.search(st)
>>> print(len(templist))
0

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:11:49 GMT

Yes, I had assumed that I was passing the parameters incorrectly. Do you have a suggestion as to how to pass parameters?

Thanks for any insight.

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:13:17 GMT

Robert... getting lost... you seem to want to quote an already quoted string... maybe Josh knows, but I don't see

st = "Boundaries AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary"

query = st

if that already worked... (their help really needs some concrete examples for sure

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

JoshuaBixby — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:13:38 GMT

Did you trip my code changes? Do they work?

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:34:56 GMT

Sorry I did try what you suggested after taking a second closer look at what you suggested.

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:37:57 GMT

Dan,

Sorry for the confusion.

I am not attempting to quote an already quoted string. What I am attempting to do is to determine the proper way to pass parameters to the gis.content.search() function.

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

JoshuaBixby — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:46:11 GMT

ha, on "their help really needs some concrete examples." I couldn't agree more, the ArcGIS API for Python documentation has a lllooonnnggg way to go.

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

JoshuaBixby — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 09:12:52 GMT

I see what Dan is getting at above, what about:

st = q + ' AND owner:MontanaStateLibrary'
temp_list = gis.content.search(query=st)‍‍

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:57:50 GMT

Success! I am not sure I would have ever figured out to enter an unquoted string. Thanks to both Joshua Bixby and Dan Patterson for the help.

Re: gis.content.search() parameter substitution

RobertHolliday — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 18:01:18 GMT

Thanks to you both for the help.

####################

Bob Holliday

Montana State Library

rholliday@mt.gov<mailto:rholliday@mt.gov>