topic Re: spatial.to_featurelayer strips time resulting in data loss in ArcGIS API for Python Questions

spatial.to_featurelayer strips time resulting in data loss

martinschaefer1 — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 12:10:27 GMT

Hi,

Exporting a spatially enabled dataframe (SDF) to AGOL using spatial.to_featurelayer with a datetime column strips the time as it creates a shapefile and due to the way shapefiles handle dates. Alternative is to create a str column using strftime or to use the more cumbersome method of creating a csv item and publishing that, completely bypassing the SDF.

Could I suggest:

Adding a check to to_featurelayer, and either returning a warning or converting the datetime to string
Adding a warning to the documentation

Code to demonstrate the issue attached as .ypnb.

Best wishes

Re: spatial.to_featurelayer strips time resulting in data loss

DanPatterson — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 12:47:14 GMT

What version of the api are you using?

There was a reported issue with datetime on their site

Issues · Esri/arcgis-python-api (github.com)

But if it doesn't apply, then you should open an Issue on their github site

Issues · Esri/arcgis-python-api (github.com)

Re: spatial.to_featurelayer strips time resulting in data loss

martinschaefer1 — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:14:43 GMT

That's a good shout. I was using AGOL Notebooks, which I kinda assumed had the latest version. Lesson 1, check, don't trust.

AGOL Notebooks is on 1.8.1, and to_featurelayer creates a shapefile. Running a Pro Notebook shows 1.8.3, and to_featurelayer creates a gdb in AGOL, solving this issue.

I will let ESRI support know, as I had raised a job with them first, they did not have the solultion, thanks for the suggestion.