topic Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder in ArcGIS API for Python Questions

Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 19:48:47 GMT

Good afternoon everyone,

We have a folder with 175 .lyr files. All .lyr files are pointing to an SDE instance and we need to change each lyr data source to point to another SDE instance.

I am looking for a way to do that in python where I can loop through all files in the folder and change their datasource.

Thanks

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoshuaBixby — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 21:54:35 GMT

Sharing with https://community.esri.com/community/developers/gis-developers/python?sr=search&searchId=998cdb5b-d7a7-44da-bd4d-6a60df8e983a&searchIndex=0‌ since this seems more an ArcPy question than ArcGIS API for Python.

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MicahBabinski — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 22:29:12 GMT

Hi Jose,

As with anything arcpy related, the documentation is your friend. Being able to read through the documents and figure out how to do this kind of thing is essential to becoming a good python/arcpy scripter. Have a look at this topic and see what you can do:

Updating and fixing data sources with arcpy.mapping—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

The generalized process I would do is:

List all .lyr files using os.listdir() or arcpy.ListFiles("*.lyr")
Create a top-level layer object from the layer file
Loop through each sublayer, determine if it supports the data source property
Update the data source
Save the top-level layer object

Good luck!

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:09:47 GMT

Hello everyone,

I was able to browse all .lyr files, but when the script runs the line replaceDataSource, nothing happens.

# List all lyr files

lyrFileList = arcpy.ListFiles("*.lyr");

arcpy.env.workspace = newSdePath

for lyrFile in lyrFileList:

print lyrFile

lyr = arcpy.mapping.Layer(os.path.join(folderpathLayerFiles,lyrFile))

if lyr.supports("DATASOURCE"😞

print lyr.dataSource

print lyr.datasetName

value = "xxx.xxx." + lyr.datasetName.split(".")[1]

if arcpy.Exists(value):

print "Replace Datasource for " + value

lyr.replaceDataSource(newSdePath, "SDE_WORKSPACE", "", True)

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MichaelVolz — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:34:12 GMT

Are all the lyr files for single SDE feature classes or do you have some group lyr files? I mention this because I created a script where I had to change the source of lyr files and I had to drill down to each individual lyr in the group lyr file when I encountered a group lyr file.

Did you validate that the newSdePath is valid and would connect to the new SDE database in ArcCatalog?

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:37:48 GMT

Hi Michael,

Each .lyr files points to one single feature class. And feature classes are stand alone feature classes or part of a feature dataset.

To populate newSdePath I just copy/pasted the value form ArcCatalog.

newSdePath = r"Database Connections\SQL Prod.sde"

Thanks

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MicahBabinski — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:43:06 GMT

Hi Jose,

If the dataset names are the same try:

lyr.replaceDataSource(newSdePath, "SDE_WORKSPACE", lyr.datasetName, True)‍

or:

lyr.replaceDataSource(newSdePath, "SDE_WORKSPACE", "#", True)‍‍

The empty double-quotes for the dataset_name parameter could be causing your validation to fail.

Micah

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MichaelVolz — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:45:56 GMT

Are you showing all the code for the script? I ask because I don't see where you set the value of newSdePath. I just see that arcpy.env.workspace is set to newSdePath which would be empty if you have not set that value in code.

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

DanPatterson_Retired — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:57:03 GMT

in all the examples in the listed http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/analyze/arcpy-mapping/updatingandfixingdatasources.htm help topic, they show an *mxd being loaded, stuff being done, then a copy of the mxd being saved... I wonder...

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:57:42 GMT

Hi again,

below is a copy/paste of most of the code:

import arcpy
import sys, traceback, string, os
import logging
import datetime
import time
import calendar

folderpathLayerFiles = r"\\....LayerFiles"

folderpathSymbology = r"\\....Symbology"

arcpy.env.workspace = folderpathLayerFiles

newSdePath = r"xxxx.sde"

def CreateErrorFlag(aJobName):
    try:
        commandLine = "trap.cmd " + aJobName
        aresult = os.system(commandLine)
        if aresult > 0:
            sys.exit(1)
    except:
        return (aresult)
        print "error"
        sys.exit(1)

try:
logging.info(':=================================== START LOGGING')
logging.info("Start Script: " + time.strftime("%c"))

print "Start Script: " + time.strftime("%c")

    #
    # List all lyr files
    #

    lyrFileList = arcpy.ListFiles("*.lyr");

    arcpy.env.workspace = newSdePath

    for lyrFile in lyrFileList:
        print lyrFile

        lyr = arcpy.mapping.Layer(os.path.join(folderpathLayerFiles,lyrFile))
        if lyr.supports("DATASOURCE"):
            print lyr.dataSource
            print lyr.datasetName

            value = "xxxx.xxx." + lyr.datasetName.split(".")[1]

            if arcpy.Exists(value):
                print "Replace Datasource for " + value
                #lyr.findAndReplaceWorkspacePath(find_workspace_path=lyr.workspacePath, replace_workspace_path=newSdePath)

lyr.replaceDataSource(newSdePath, "SDE_WORKSPACE",lyr.datasetName, True)

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MicahBabinski — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:59:37 GMT

I think Dan Patterson‌ nailed it - you gotta save the layer file.

lyr.save()‍

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

DanPatterson_Retired — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:02:22 GMT

you seem to be missing the except portion of your last try... what happens if it fails?

see my previous comment about saving mxd's... and for sde stuff, does it need to be updated or something if things are shuffling around in there?

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:17:07 GMT

Sorry I did not copy paste the exception part of my code:

except Exception as e:
    print "Python Error occurred"
    #print exception message to the Interactive window
    print e
    #place error message in geoprocessing messages
    arcpy.AddError(e)
    logging.error(": %s" % str(e))

    sys.exit(1)

except arcpy.ExecuteError:
    print "Geoprocessing error occurred"
    print arcpy.GetMessages(2)
    logging.error(": %s" % arcpy.GetMessages(0))

    sys.exit(1)

except:
    print "Error occurred"
    #print any geoprocessing messages to the Interactive window
    #print arcpy.GetMessages(0)

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

DanPatterson_Retired — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:29:10 GMT

save....

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 19:17:14 GMT

Hi Dan,

This script works fine for the .lyr files that are pointing to a SDE instance that is active. But there are a few that are pointing to an old instance has been retired 2 or 3 years ago. These .lyr file made the program stop

Error Message:

Replace Datasource for xxx.yyy.ProjectLine
Python Error occurred
Layer: Unexpected error
ERROR: Layer: Unexpected error
ERROR:root:: Layer: Unexpected error

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MichaelVolz — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 19:21:18 GMT

I believe you can check for a broken datasource and skip trying to process it and just put that lyr information into a log file so you can process those lyr files manually.

If you try to access these old SDE instances in ArcCatalog, does it take a long time for ArcCatalog to say that the datasource cannot be found? From past experiences broken SDE datasources can take some time for ArcMap or ArcCatalog to resolve (between 3-40 minutes).

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 19:27:47 GMT

Hi Michael,

Yes it takes very long to right clock on the .lyr and goo to properties to fix the connection for the ones that are broken.

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

MichaelVolz — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 19:31:46 GMT

I believe there is an Idea on the ESRI GeoNet to modify ArcMap and/or ArcPro to not attempt to find broken connections for longer than a smaller amount of time (something like 1-2 minutes instead of up to 40 minutes which some endusers experienced).

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

JoseSanchez — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:33:34 GMT

Hello everyone,

In some cases when I run the line to change the workspace, it does not work. Do variables find_workspace_path and replace_workspace_path need to include the feature dataset or only the connection path?

lyr.findAndReplaceWorkspacePath(find_workspace_path=lyr.workspacePath, replace_workspace_path=r"Database Connections\Esde8_WASDREAD.sde")

lyr.save():

It fails:

Python Error occurred
Layer: Unexpected error
ERROR: Layer: Unexpected error
ERROR:root:: Layer: Unexpected error

These are the values for find_workspace_path and replace_workspace_path:

SValve.lyr

feature class whole path: Database Connections\SQLInstance.sde\Sewer.SewerCollection\Sewer.SValve

find_workspace_path= C:\Users\mydesktop\AppData\Roaming\Esri\Desktop10.2\ArcCatalog\OracleInstance.sde

replace_workspace_path= Database Connections\SQLInstance.sde

Re: Change datasource in .lyr files in specific folder

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:48:44 GMT

You may want to check my python addin /blogs/myAlaskaGIS/2015/08/31/python-addin-for-data-inventory-and-broken-link-repair?sr=search&searchId=5e4f79de-76c7-4eb3-bce8-d6177ab277ff&searchIndex=1‌ to see if that will help. Use ass is, if it helps, or take a look at the code if you want something simpler.