ArcPy to handle NA types when utilizing to_featureclass() conversion from Spatially Enabled Dataframe

feralcatcolonist — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:46:54 GMT

Currently when a Spatially Enabled Dataframe contains the NA Type, to process to_featureclass() fails less than gracefully.

The error message returned does not provide context for the row number and field that contain the error
The error message could be avoided entirely with additionally processing from ArcPy to handle what is otherwise a standard datatype. Per this ArcGIS API for Python Idea by @vmarquart_max-boegl : https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-api-for-python-ideas/support-a-pd-na-to-np-nan-conversion-inside-the/idi-p/1266352

The idea here is to handle NA types better within the function. While the NA type may not be handled by the endpoint database or file location, it is a relatively easy conversion process to make the item a null value or other value that is supported.

The maximal solution here is for that conversion to be handled "under the hood" by ArcPy and abstract this error checking/handling away from the user.
The minimal solution would be better error message output to provide a user explicit instruction on both row number (object_id since this is coming out of a spatially enabled dataframe) and column name/index.

Github issue that prompted this request: https://github.com/Esri/arcgis-python-api/issues/1494#event-8780331130

idea ArcPy to handle NA types when utilizing to_featureclass() conversion from Spatially Enabled Dataframe in ArcGIS API for Python Ideas

ArcPy to handle NA types when utilizing to_featureclass() conversion from Spatially Enabled Dataframe